I guess we finally know what you have to do get fired as a Premier League referee.
You can be inconsistent and incompetent, or even engage is some pretty blatant collusion and cronyism. That’s all fine. Maybe you get a week off or you drop down a league for a round of fixtures after a particularly high-profile gaffe.
But in order to get fired, you apparently have to do something extraordinarily dumb, like let yourself be recorded making derogatory comments about people in your workplace (i.e. a Premier League football match) and, allegedly, while building a snowman (the one thing Kevin Feige said is off limits!).
“Following the conclusion of a thorough investigation into David Coote’s conduct, his employment with PGMOL has been terminated today with immediate effect.
“David Coote’s actions were found to be in serious breach of the provisions of his employment contract, with his position deemed untenable.
“Supporting David Coote continues to be important to us and we remain committed to his welfare.”
-PGMOL statement; source: The Athletic
Don’t do drugs, kids.