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Josh Challies

Key figure in Leeds United's latest refereeing flashpoint set for immediate reunion

Leeds United's final game of the Premier League season against West Brom will be officiated by David Coote, who was the VAR official for the midweek victory against Southampton.

Patrick Bamford was denied a penalty against the Saints in midweek and revealed that he was told it was because he didn't go to ground.

"I said to the referee, 'nowadays are we trying to encourage diving then?'," he said following the 2-0 win.

"Because if I go down it's 100 per cent a penalty, whether they check it or not, it's a penalty. So surely the fact that it's knocked me off balance but I've tried to stay on my feet, it should still be a penalty.

"Everyone's saying that modern day players are diving too much, going to ground too easy. But the fact is you've seen today that if you don't, you don't get anything for it. But the refs have got to decide do you want players to stay on your feet or do you want them to go down?"

Now, Leeds will face a reunion with Coote, the VAR official for the game that decided not to advise the referee to change his on-field decision.

Should Bamford have gone down against Southampton? Let us know in the comments below

In fact, it's not the first time that Leeds fans have been left aggrieved by Coote - with previous frustrations occurring prior to the promotion to the Premier League.

Back in the 2017/18 season against Millwall, Coote dismissed Liam Cooper after being surrounded by opposition players for a challenge that was no more than a booking.

He also sent Kiko Casilla off during a decisive 1-0 defeat to Sheffield United, which impacted the club's push for promotion.

This season, he was also the referee that did not punish Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford for a challenge that saw Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk sidelined for the remainder of the season.

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