Farewell, David Coote. You were the one who bears a resemblance to a hungover Ross from Friends. Let’s revisit your most memorable moments. Not dismissing Jordan Pickford for his attempted assault at Goodison Park. Not dismissing Fabinho for his on-field surgery on Evan Ferguson at the Amex. Plus, of course, the decision to allow yourself to be filmed lounging on a sofa, openly voicing all the negative comments, thus completing the remarkable transformation of the English football referee from a taciturn northern figure to the current breed of besieged reality TV stars.
At this point, English football truly deserves credit for continuously producing the most incredible content to fill the gaps in an increasingly monotonous product. Sky Sports’ Tuesday morning coverage of the Coote-Klopp incident was utterly captivating, presented with a surreal air of shocked solemnity, akin to reporting on the discovery of Father Christmas naked under a pile of cocaine holding the gun that killed Bobby Kennedy.
This mainly involved replaying the footage with key parts tastefully bleeped out, while the two presenters sat pale-faced at their studio coffee table, resembling community police officers delivering bad news about a pet. It was a relief to then cut to Dermot Gallagher, offering incredibly wholesome content in such circumstances, a sign that nature might be healing itself.
Perhaps PGMOL should turn this cycle into a regular post-match feature: late-night videos of a glassy-eyed referee insulting people on a sofa, which would at least be more engaging than Michael Owen agreeing with Howard Webb. Amidst the hilarity and disbelief, there are three key points. First, Coote is clearly done as a referee. Second, this is not evidence of corruption in football. But it is evidence of idiocy and incompetence, of humans pushed beyond their limits, and of chaos in football’s basic administration that could serve as a call to action.
The video lasts just over a minute. Coote appears with a treacherous companion, who clearly encourages his actions. Coote refers to Jürgen Klopp as “a cunt,” “an absolute cunt,” and “a German cunt.” He complains about Klopp calling him a liar and criticizes his aggression and arrogance. The companion ends the video with the phrase “We hate scousers.” In a separate video, Coote seems concerned about the certainty that this will end up on the internet.
Coote is finished as an elite referee. Not because he’s biased, or because he calls Klopp “a cunt,” but because he calls him “a German cunt,” which is arguably racist under English game guidelines. A Wrexham supporter received a three-year ban for calling Tranmere Rovers supporters “English bastards.” Coote’s role includes understanding and reporting such incidents, which he can’t do now.
We also need to be cautious with David Coote. His behavior was idiotic, and his companion’s sentiments about hating scousers are unacceptable. But Coote is a fragile human, and this incident will make his life difficult. Let’s not overplay the offense. Everyone in football uses harsh words. The life of a referee is constant abuse, an uncontrolled social experiment on human limits.
Is it surprising that David Coote ended up brutalized, glassy-eyed, and spewing toxins on a sofa? The Burnley game ended with Andy Robertson confronting Coote, saying, “Fuck me. What’s the point of having you in the middle?” What kind of human do we want David Coote to be? A normal person will eventually retaliate. Being recorded while doing so is unfortunate but not inexplicable.
This incident will further tarnish the experience of referees at all levels, from grassroots volunteers to the elite game. Football keeps producing new content, much of it end-of-days corruption stuff. Within hours of the video being shared, various conclusive Coote charge sheets circulated, suggesting a genuine sporting scandal.
There is no evidence of corruption. What we have is evidence of stupidity, incompetence, and humans out of their depth. Refereeing is a nightmare, requiring multiple skills and immunity to abuse. David Coote, on a sofa, glassy-eyed, bleeding self-pity, high on validation from hostile acolytes. Is this surprising?
The Coote tapes evoke sadness. He looks haunted, over-stimulated, talking into a void. David Coote didn’t make football. Football made David Coote. Ultimately, this is about structure and method. PGMOL’s push for greater prominence reveals the limitations of those involved, the impossible nature of the job, and its vague grasp on proceedings. Howard Webb’s tenure has been marked by calls for more transparency.
What we have now is full transparency. The footage shows how difficult this job has become, how stretched those involved are, and how vulnerable the sport is to the suggestion that it’s rotten.
Source link: https://www.theguardian.com
