David Coote and the Death of Privacy: When Work Invades Your Personal Life

The case of former referee David Coote’s out-of-work comments, made towards the end of last year in relation to people within his work environment raises some curious questions as where our work life ends and our personal life begins.  David Coote: Ex-Premier League referee charged by FA over Jurgen Klopp comments – BBC Sport.  How far does the over-lapping grey area between our work and personal lives extend? How far is, or isn’t reasonable?

The case involving David Coote askes the question as to just how far an employer’s reach extends into what activities and conversations we may, or may not engage in during our non-working time and within a non-work-related space.  How far should it extend, if at all?  Specific to the recording made of David Coote, he is heard (recorded) saying to the person making the recording that “just to be clear… that **** last video can’t go anywhere.” It did go further (obviously), and that this was seemingly neither the intent of David Coote to make a “public statement,” nor his desire.  I would have little sympathy to anyone choosing to go into a public forum and deliberately choosing to make public statements about both/either their work space and/or persons within their work space.  It seems that David Coote did not believe that he was in anyway engaging in anything other than a personal and private conversation, in a personal and private space; and within a context that only the persons present know.  Does it even matter anymore if something you say (that ends up in the public domain unbeknown to you) is (or you believe it to be) factually correct and true?

This isn’t the place to discuss the legitimacy or correctness of his comments and/or opinions in relation to Liverpool Football Club, nor their manager at the time, Jurgen Klopp.  Any of us who have attended a football game, or played football at any level would be aware of the unreasonable abuse referees are subjected to; football more so than other sports.  Is it any surprise that referees would harbour personal opinions towards those hurling abuse at them?  I suspect David Coote’s views/opinions wouldn’t be unique to him. The issue at hand here is that before the arrival of social media, for the most, people’s private conversations didn’t often end up in a public forum.  Worryingly, with the explosive growth of social media, this is no longer the case. Anyone who chooses to watch the video of David Coote in question would hear David Coote specifically express to the person recording that it was a private recording and to not go any further.  That it did seems not to be the choice of David Coote. So, in that context, was it fair and just that it cost him his career and livelihood?

The concern I have here is that David Coote’s former employers have taken it upon themselves to suspend him from his job, despite no evidence that he has ever done anything on the football pitch (his workplace) that would or should require such a review or sanction.  I would expect that the general consensus of most football watchers (outside of Liverpool Football Club) was/is that David Coote was one of the better referees, and on balance, was impartial in his refereeing decisions.  The greater shame is that Football has lost another referee at a time when many would question who would actually want to be a football referee in the current climate where abuse towards referees seems commonplace.  During my brief lower league Sunday Leage outings, I have heard far, far worse things said (screamed at, in close proximity!!) to referees whom were giving up their time for free officiating at these same games, than what David Coote said of Jurgen Klopp.  Referees face this abuse week in, week out, rather than said at distance on some social media platform that we could all choose to ignore. I don’t agree with, nor condone what David Coote said in relation to Jurgen Klopp; I do however think that it is worth considering the context and situation it was said in.  Would any football manager or player have their career ended for calling a referee what David Coote called Jurgen Klopp?  If you listen to what David Coote said in relation to Jurgen Klopp, and his reasons for saying it, then this becomes a rhetorical question.  I don’t think either are acceptable, however, personally, I’d be more offended at being called a liar and cheat in my place of work than I would in being called a c***; as was the prelude to the comments that David Coote made if Jurgen Klopp.

As quoted by the BBC in their June 17^th, 2025 article by Sean Kearns

“The 42-year-old was suspended in November 2024 after the clip showed him making derogatory comments about the German and Liverpool.

Coote was sacked a month later by the Premier League referees' body Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) following a “thorough investigation” into his conduct.

The FA has now charged Coote in relation to rule E3.1, which alleges he acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words.

It says reference to Klopp's nationality in the video constituted an “aggravated” breach (FA Rule E3.2).”

Is it reasonable and fair that the FA extends rule E3.1 and E3.2 to cover all aspects of their employees lives, both work related and non-work related?  Just how far is the reach of an employer as to what we can do or say outside our place of work, and among company not related to our place of work?  When and where does “my personal opinions are my own” start and end?  In my view, the treatment of David Coote sets a very worrying precedent for all of us currently in employment as to just how far the reach of our employers (or future employers to past events!) extends into our non-working lives.

What David Coote has seemingly done is shared (personal) opinions in his own time, in his own social (non-work) setting, seemingly “among friends” and seemingly “in private” (as he says at the end of the video shared on social media).  I would very much hope that I don’t have the sorts of friends who would think that recording what I believed to be a private conversation, and then unbeknown to me, posting it on social media is ok! Even more so, when it should have been fairly clear to all parties in the room at the time that David Coote’s comments would more likely that not be career ending (as he David Coote also says at the end of the recording).  I am not a supporter of social media, and so it should be no surprise that I take the view that posting personal events on the internet without those involved giving permission, or being aware should be a criminal offence.  I would wonder if the current heads of David Coote’s former employers would come out and categorically state that they have NEVER said anything (when they believed that they were in private) derogatory about another person in their place of work, or associated with their place of work (such as the players, managers, and supporters of the various football clubs).  Stones in Glass Houses?