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Coote named as Carabao Cup final referee
David Coote has been confirmed as the referee for Sunday's Carabao Cup final between Manchester United and Newcastle United (4:30pm kick-off).
Sunday 26th February
Manchester United vs Newcastle United
Carabao Cup final
Wembley Stadium
Kick-off 4:30pm GMT
A referee since his teenage years, Sunday's game under the arch will be the first major final Coote has been appointed for, having previously taken charge of the League One play-off final between Leyton Orient and Rotherham in 2014.
The Nottinghamshire official made his way through the Northern Counties and Northern Premier League as a rookie referee before eventually, having made it through the National League stage of the pyramid, becoming an assistant in the EFL.
In 2010 he was promoted to the list of EFL referees and eight years later he became a top flight official. Coote also served as a FIFA-listed referee between 2020 and 2022.
This weekend's Carabao Cup final will be the first game involving Newcastle that Coote has overseen since the 1-0 defeat at Chelsea in March 2022. In 2021/22, he also officiated in the 1-1 draw at Brighton in November 2021 and the 2-0 loss at Aston Villa in August 2021.
2022/23 stats
Games (all competitions): 23
Yellow cards issued: 86
Red cards issued: 2
Assistants
Assistant referees: Nick Hopton and Tim Wood
Fourth official: Simon Hooper
VAR: Peter Bankes
Assistant VAR: Eddie Smart