Soccer coach in Liverpool court, accused of killing cop

A soccer coach accused of murdering an off-duty police officer has appeared in an English court.

Christopher Spendlove was fired Monday as assistant coach of Oklahoma City Energy, which plays in the USL PRO league, after being charged by authorities in his native Liverpool.

The 30-year-old Spendlove and 28-year-old Andrew Taylor are both accused of attacking officer Neil Doyle in Liverpool city center early Friday. A post-mortem examination found that Doyle died from a fatal bleed around the brain.

Spendlove and Taylor appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday to face murder and assault charges.

Ahead of the hearing, Energy FC announced that Spendlove was dismissed "given the seriousness of the charges."