PGMOL DISASTER SHOULD NOT GO TO WASTE

HOW THE PREMIER LEAGUE SHOULD LOOK AT THE DAVID COOTE DEBACLE

My oh MY, what a crazy day yesterday.

PGMOL’s year just got worse. David Coote, Premier League referee, has been caught in one of 2024’s most bizarre scandals.

He seems to be at an afterparty with a random guy who looks like Ben White, giving his hot takes on how he hates Liverpool, loves James Milner, and thought Jurgen Klopp was a cunt. He tried to pass the video off as a deepfake early in the day, but the sophistication to deliver something so perfect in AI doesn’t exist, and if it did, why would anyone pick David Coote at and afters to soft launch its powers?

Coote has now been suspended by PGMOL pending a thorough investigation.

People are already coming out to defend him.

“He should be allowed opinions.”

“Everyone knew refs had biases.”

“It doesn’t really change anything.”

I can’t be having it. A section of the media has insisted that fans who question this are conspiracy theorists—that it’s all about incompetence, not bias.

Well, here it is: proof of exactly what anyone who’s grown up in the tribal world of English football suspected. Refs have favorites, and there are people they think are c*nts.

When you take on the world’s most prestigious officiating role, impartiality is key. You must show good judgment, and your decisions can’t be tainted by bias. Up until yesterday, this illusion was somehow upheld despite:

- Referees not being assigned based on who they support (Jarred Gillett, a diehard Liverpool fan, constantly officiating Arsenal games)

- Referee appointments ignoring geographic origins (most refs come from the North West)

- Freelance projects in countries with potential conflicts of interest

- A lack of performance metrics indicating team bias

Now, conscious bias is no longer just a suspicion—it’s in the open.

Let me tell you what conscious bias looks like:

- Giving two yellow cards in a single passage of play for the first time ever

- Sending Declan Rice off for nudging a ball with his back turned

- Sending Tomiyasu off for two of the softest yellows on record

- Applying the letter of the law only when convenient (Trossard vs. City) but not wanting to “ruin the game” in other cases (Kovacic non-red against Arsenal)

This is unacceptable if you’re:

- A nurse treating intoxicated patients in the ER

- A lawyer defending someone accused of a disgusting crime

- A policeman protecting people protesting views you don’t agree with

If you’re a professional in any of these fields and call someone a c*nt, you’re done. You can no longer be trusted, and your actions tarnish your institution.

What do I want to happen?

I don’t really care for Coote himself. I feel bad for him—he was out having a good time, got wasted, and was probably swept up by someone from the “Benny Blanco cool crowd.” Now he’s ruined. Losing his job isn’t enough; this incident speaks to a larger issue of accountability.

Premier League clubs shouldn’t let this crisis go to waste. PGMOL should be disbanded, and a new body should be established to professionalize an organization that has way too much heat on it, exposing a total lack of top-level leadership.

Here’s what needs to happen:

- A Professional Referees Association, funded and owned by Premier League clubs, should be established—like a start-up.

- This organization should be independent but accountable to the Premier League, with a board system.

- There should be an independent auditor questioning the key areas:

- How referees are assigned

- Performance management

- Rewards, disciplinary actions, and additional training for underperformance

- Requests for extracurricular activities

- Recruitment methods

VAR and on-field referees should be from different organizations to create checks and balances. I don’t want refs in the VAR booth. It’s a different skill—VAR should be manned by rule monsters, great communicators who interpret replays quickly and accurately.

Referees need higher pay. Singapore saw progress by mandating three things:

1. Everyone speaks English

2. Politicians earn the highest salaries in the world

3. If these highly-paid politicians are corrupt, they face serious consequences

You can’t expect top referees to thrive on £200k a year when they’re buying Frazzles at Tesco. Pay them like they’ve got a golden ticket, where they treat their roles with absolute professionalism. Right now, the golden ticket is a Sky job or a gig in Saudi Arabia after retirement. That’s not good enough for the Premier League. Make it so they don’t need to worry about retirement.

And we need diversity among refs—diversity in geography, race, and nationality. Why can’t we recruit the best from Europe? Why do refs mostly come from the North West? Why don’t refs reflect the racial diversity of the Premier League? The current set-up has now been revealed as problematic, and David Coote has put these issues on a platter.

All of the above points to one goal: accountability.

Without it, referees feel free to impose personal opinions on the game. But imagine if a terrible decision meant losing the best job in refereeing. Imagine if life-changing pay came with an expectation of excellence and fairness.

When you create a high-performance culture, with a clear vision, pathways to success, and behaviors that are rewarded or punished, beautiful things happen. Right now, Howard Webb is handling performance issues with protectionism and PR. What message does that send to referees? It tells them to carry on as usual.

This David Coote incident should ignite real change in an area of the game that’s been problematic for decades. Clubs need to lead this charge. Strike while the scandal is hot. Treat referees like you treat first-team squads—as entities that can always improve.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments. x