EFL chief concerned over betting allegations on David Coote; Urges clubs to boost security: Report
New Delhi(The Uttam Hindu): English Football League (EFL) has sent out a mail to all competing clubs after betting allegations rose against already-suspended referee David Coote, asking them to increase security around referees.
The mail in question claims EFLchief executive Trevor Birch is 'clearly deeply concerned' by explosive betting claims around the official 'and the questions they will undoubtedly raise about the fairness and integrity of our competitions', as reported by Daily Mail.
English referee David Coote, who has been at the center of very serious controversies that bring serious questions against the integrity of the refereeing body, has once again been put under fire as he is being investigated for a possible betting scandal.
The 42-year-old is being questioned surrounding a yellow card he showed to Leeds player Ezgjan Alioski during the Leeds United versus West Bromwich Albion game in October 2019 and is being investigated both by the refereeing body in England, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) and the Football Association (FA) in separate investigations as reported by British newspaper outlet The Sun.
The report suggests that Coote discussed handing out a yellow card over text messages and messaged a pal after the game saying ‘I hope you backed as discussed.’ But there is no suggestion that the referee made any financial gains over the event.
Coote has denied any allegations and released a statement claiming he has always upheld the integrity of the game.'
“Whatever issues I may have had in my personal life they have never affected my decision-making on the field. I have always held the integrity of the game in the highest regard, refereeing matches impartially and to the best of my ability,” read the statement.
A recent video clip did the rounds on social media which showed Coote using 'white powder.' The eight-second clip, which was published by The Sun, came a day after Coote was suspended by Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL) over derogatory comments he allegedly made about ex-Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and the club in previous video footage.
Later, the UEFA Referees Committee also suspended Coote until further notice ahead of the upcoming round of UEFA matches. "The UEFA Referees Committee immediately suspended David Coote until further notice on 11 November - in advance of the upcoming round of UEFA matches - when it became aware of his inappropriate behaviour," it said in a statement.
Earlier, the FA has launched its own investigation into the video that appears to show Premier League referee Coote using foul language to describe former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp and the club.
