Last November, a video that will eventually ruin the career of a person circulated online. When this video circulated, it left mixed feelings because it was not verified. And in the era we are where AI can be used to make videos that look real, caution should've been taken. However, in this case, as the video hit the web all hell was let loose.
On November 9, 2024, David Coote officiated a match between Liverpool and Aston Villa. The game ended 2-0 in favour of Liverpool and there wasn't much VAR vs People drama that sucked the life out of a lot of games last season. It was a relatively smooth game for Mr. Coote to officiate too. About a day after a video surfaced online that showed Coote having a right go at former Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp.
In the video, Coote was talking to a man in a sitting room. The man asked for his opinion about Klopp and Coote replies, "Aside from having a right pop at me when I reffed them against Burnley in lockdown, then he accused me of lying and then just had a right fucking pop at me. I’ve got no interest in speaking to someone who’s fucking arrogant. So I do my best not to speak to him … my God, German cunt, fuck me.”
Normally, this was a conversation between two people right inside their house. Also, the conversation happened in 2020, four years before the video went viral. Immediately after the video leaked, Coote was suspended. A month later, he was sacked. The English FA's reason for sacking him was that he acted improperly and used abusive/insulting words on Klopp and that it constituted an "Aggravated Breach".
Look, as a person working for an institution, everywhere you show up you are an ambassador of that institution. Coote's career was wrecked because he shared an opinion with a friend inside his house. After all, the opinion he shared was against the laws of the institution he represented. That is why these days most links to a job application have a space where one will input his or her social media handles.
That is because the company wants to run a background check and confirm the person they want to employ isn't someone who has a messed up online image. They wouldn't want such a person to represent their company because he or she is bad market. It doesn't matter if you have freedom of speech or if the opinion is within your rights. As long as it projects a difficult image that could negatively impact the brand, you're getting cut loose.
Everyone out there knows that Mason Greenwood is a rare talent. However, his messed up court battle for misdemeanors meant he could be kept around the Man United brand. If he is kept at all costs, the club will lose the trust and sponsor of a certain group. Is he that important to risk losing serious stakeholders because of him?
Finally, any organization you find yourself, know its rules and regulations. Know what they will and won't tolerate. Don't make assumptions. These days one of the things institutions sell is public image. So why would they employ or retain someone who will give their rivals a weak target that can be used to drag them down?
