Former cricketer in David Coote video avoids sack after investigation

Exclusive: Ben Kitt has been kept on by recruitment firm after ‘acknowledging his mistakes and demonstrating remorse’

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The other man in the video that has left David Coote facing the sack for calling Jürgen Klopp a “c—” and “f—— arrogant” has returned to work following an investigation into his conduct.
As revealed by Telegraph Sport, former Nottinghamshire cricketer Ben Kitt was suspended on full pay last week by executive recruitment firm Forsyth Barnes, clients of which reportedly have included Manchester United and Real Madrid.
It followed his appearance in a leaked video in which he quizzes Premier League referee Coote about Klopp and Liverpool.
Kitt, who failed to make a first-class appearance for Notts before leaving in 2018, concludes the clip by saying: “Long story short: Jürgen Klopp’s a c—, Liverpool are all f—— b—ends and we hate Scousers.”
The footage, which was posted to social media a week ago on Monday, appears to have been filmed in the wake of Liverpool’s’ 7-2 thrashing at Aston Villa in October 2020.
In a statement released to Telegraph Sport, Forsyth Barnes co-founder Roheel Ahmad said: “Following an internal investigation, we have concluded our review of the incident involving our employee, Ben Kitt. Taking into consideration various factors, including that events took place pre his employment with us, we have determined that no further action will be taken.
“Ben acknowledges his mistakes during a moment of poor judgment, and his remorse demonstrates his personal growth and continued maturity. Nevertheless, Ben has been reminded of his responsibility to uphold the high standards and reputation of Forsyth Barnes, which he fully recognises. Neither Forsyth Barnes, nor Ben will be making any further comments.
“At Forsyth Barnes, we remain committed to fostering a supportive and professional environment, and we appreciate the dedication of our team members who continue to contribute to our standing as a leader in executive search and consultancy.”
Telegraph Sport has been told Kitt works for the firm’s online retail arm and not in its recruitment division.
Confirmation that he was back at work was swiftly followed by an update from the referees’ body, the Professional Game Match Officials Ltd, about its own investigation into Coote, who was suspended following the emergence of the abusive video.
That clip was followed by the leaking of separate footage allegedly showing Coote appearing to snort a white powder during this summer’s European Championship, where he officiated.
A PGMOL spokesperson said: “We are following an internal process and taking the allegations into David Coote’s conduct very seriously as part of our ongoing full and thorough investigation. Whilst David remains suspended, his welfare continues to be important to us and he is aware of the support network available to him.”
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