‘David Coote video on Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp fuels conspiracy theorists’

The majority of reasonable observers, although sometimes not the fans who choose to view decisions through the prism of their own bias, accept that referees will make mistakes under the toughest of pressures. That pressure very often comes from players and managers in the violent greenhouse of elite football, which trickles right down to the grassroots.

Coote’s alleged insults about Liverpool and Klopp – which even his biggest admirers would admit were confrontational from his technical side – allow skeptics to challenge the principle of integrity.

It plays right into the hands of those supporters who are only too willing to shout “corruption” or feel that referees “feel it” for their particular club.

Coote’s past decisions when in charge of Liverpool games are already under scrutiny. He was on video assistant referee duty for the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park in October 2020 when Virgil van Dijk suffered a season-ending knee injury following a reckless challenge in the area by Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, with no penalty awarded. Jordan Henderson had a stoppage-time winner ruled out for offside.

He played the same role in December 2023 when a clear handball from Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard – later recognized as a foul by Webb – escaped punishment in a 1-1 draw at Anfield.

Faults, yes – but honest ones, only for the emergence of the Coote video to reopen a very large can of worms, presenting a crisis for Webb and PGMOL.

The judges are already under pressure and a merciless microscope. This latest development will only bring the whole debate into sharper relief.

Football Association data released at the end of last year revealed serious offenses against match officials in grassroots football increased in 2022-23.

There were 1,451 allegations, an increase of 1%, with 72 of actual or attempted assault, 391 of actual or attempted physical contact and 988 of threats against a match official. There were 42 proven cases of assault or attempted assault.

The most high-profile challenge to an official’s integrity came from Nottingham Forest after a controversial 2-0 loss at Everton in April when they felt three penalty awards went against them.

Minutes after the final whistle, Forest’s social media account pointed an accusing finger at VAR Stuart Attwell, who they claimed was a fan of Luton Town, who were also in relegation trouble at the time.

The club wrote: “Three extremely poor decisions – three penalties not given – which we simply cannot accept. We warned PGMOL that VAR is a Luton fan before the game but they did not change him. Our patience has been tested several times. NFFC will now consider his options.”

Forest were fined £750,000 by the FA in October for what was described as an “attack on a referee’s integrity on an unprecedented scale”.

Attwell made a statement to the panel about the “stress, anxiety, fear and embarrassment caused to him” as a result of the post, while Webb said it “has the potential to serve as a green light for those who seek to abuse public officials and normalize the question of the integrity of all judges”.

The Coote video, if genuine, may have just done the same disservice to every civil servant in the country.