David Coote has denied claims that he discussed giving a yellow card before a match.
The Sun newspaper alleges that Coote booked then-Leeds player Ezgjan Alioski in a match against West Brom in October 2019 and then messaged a friend saying: “I hope you backed as discussed.”
In response to the accusations, Coote stated: “I strongly reject these untrue and defamatory claims. No matter what personal issues I may have had, they have never impacted my decision-making on the field.
“I have always upheld the integrity of the game, officiating matches impartially and to the best of my ability.”
A spokesperson for PGMOL informed Sky Sports News: “The facts must be verified in light of these very serious allegations.
“We have a zero-tolerance policy towards any violation of our integrity code of conduct, which is signed by all match officials annually. The PGMOL board is prepared to take appropriate action if any breach of that code is proven.
“David Coote remains suspended and subject to an ongoing disciplinary process by PGMOL, separate from the investigation into this issue, which will be conducted independently by the FA.
“We will not make any further statements at this time.”
A spokesperson for the FA told Sky Sports News: “These are extremely serious allegations and we are investigating urgently.”
Leeds have been made aware of the recent allegations but have decided not to comment at this moment.
