Steve Cooper admitted on Thursday he is ‘mortified’ by his past rants at referees, and vowed to be more constructive and respectful towards officials in future.
The Nottingham Forest manager, whose father Keith was a Premier League, international and EFL referee for 21 years, was fined £3,500 while in charge of Swansea City in 2020 for an outburst following a 1-1 draw with Sheffield Wednesday.
The 43-year-old had said of referee Andy Woolmer: ‘One thing was for sure, that whatever the decision was, it was not going for us. It’s personal, unfortunately.’
And he admitted on Thursday that he could not bear to listen to his comments when they were played back to him after being hauled in front of an FA hearing.
Speaking in support of Mail Sport’s Stop Abusing Referees campaign, Cooper said: ‘I had to go to a hearing, and I was mortified when I was there.
Steve Cooper has admitted his embarrassment at his actions in the past towards referees
The Welshman’s father, Keith, was a former Premier League, EFL and international referee
Mail Sport has launched a campaign to stop the abuse of referees to help boost the game
‘I was made, quite rightly, to feel small. When they talked about it, I just thought, ‘That is not the way I’ve been brought up. That’s not a good representation of British culture and not a representation of what I want to be’.
‘I can’t say this will absolutely be right, but I’ve promised myself that I’ll never put myself in that position again.
‘And I’m really going to work hard to do that. If I do let myself down, I’ll be mortified again afterwards.’
Cooper, whose Forest team are 14th in the Premier League ahead of hosting Brighton tomorrow, came through the English and Welsh FA coaching systems. His first managerial job was with England Under 16s and he then led the Under 17s to World Cup glory and a European silver medal in 2017.
He said he was concerned by the rising tide of abuse but was glad that measures are being taken to combat the vitriol that young referees are facing every week, up and down the country.
‘My son plays grassroots football, and when it’s done well it’s just the best,’ said the Welshman. ‘It’s given me some of my best footballing experiences and I’ve only seen good things.
‘To think that there could be young referees coming through from grassroots is an amazing thing. So if it’s the case of increased abuse, I’d hope not.
‘I like what the Mail are doing to highlight it, so that we can improve.’
Cooper was fined £3,500 while in charge of Swansea City in 2020 for an outburst following a 1-1 draw with Sheffield Wednesday
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