Haren
David Coote, the Premier League referee, who was dimissed after videos of him insulting Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and another that showed him snorting a white power emerged, said that anxiousness about his sexuality resulted in him making ‘really poor choices’.
Speaking to The Sun newspaper, Coote said, “I hid my emotions as a young ref and I hid my sexuality as well – a good quality as a referee but a terrible quality as a human being. And that’s led me to a whole course of behaviours,” Coote said.
Coote was afraid to come out because he had been at the receiving end of abuse as referee and didn’t want to face more insults. “I have received deeply unpleasant abuse during my career as a ref and to add my sexuality to that would have been really difficult,” he said.
Coote, 42, was sacked by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited in December after the videos had surfaced.
His first Premier League game was in 2018. The high point of his refereeing was when he officiated in the Carabao Cup final between Manchester United and Newcastle.
Talking to The Sun, Coote said, “I’ve had issues around my self-esteem — and that relates to my sexuality. I’m gay and I’ve struggled with feeling proud of being me over a long period of time.”
“I felt a deep sense of shame during my teenage years in particular. I didn’t come out to my parents until I was 21. I didn’t come out to my friends until I was 25. My sexuality isn’t the only reason that led me to be in that position. But I’m not telling an authentic story if I don’t say that I’m gay, and that I’ve had real struggles dealing with hiding that.”
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
