Former Premier League referee David Coote pleaded not guilty to making an indecent image of a child after appearing at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, Afrosport reports.
Nottinghamshire Police confirmed on Wednesday that the 43-year-old was charged over the allegations relating to a video recovered by police in February which is considered the most serious of the categories of offences.
Coote has now been granted conditional bail by District Judge Gillian Young and will appear at Nottingham Crown Court on October 9 for further hearing.
He was dismissed by refereeing body PGMOL in December last year after a video that circulated on social media showed him making derogatory comments about Liverpool and their former manager Jurgen Klopp.
He was also handed an eight-week suspension by the Football Association last month.
A further video from November last year showed Coote sniffing a white substance during the Euro 2024 tournament in Germany where he was one of the VAR officials with European governing body UEFA banning him until June 2026.
