Top News

Mike Dean has revealed that he used to play private mini-games while refereeing Premier League matches, in a striking admission that has angered supporters.

Dean has not officiated since retiring in 2022, bringing to an end a 22-year refereeing career in which he oversaw 553 top-flight matches.

One of the most recognisable referees in English football, the 58-year-old was also widely seen as a controversial figure because of his distinctive style of officiating, with on-field antics and what he has himself described as “arrogance” often putting him in the spotlight.

Pundit Garth Crooks memorably criticised Dean as a “petulant schoolteacher” in a clip from BBC’s Final Score in 2015 that has since been widely shared, saying: “He wants to be the star too often. It's really getting on my nerves because he's spoiling great games. It's not about you, Mike, it's about the games.”

Now Dean has come under a fresh wave of criticism after saying he would set himself side challenges during matches, including trying to wait as long as possible before blowing his whistle.

Speaking on Jamie Vardy's Having a Party podcast, he said: "There used to be games that we used to have, as a laugh, we used to say, 'Right, we'll kick off now, right? See how long we can go without blowing a whistle.'

"Done that a few times in the Premier, before VAR obviously. Went 20–25 minutes without blowing a whistle a few times. Let it go, let it go, let it go.

"I used to do another thing in the Premier League. I used to stand in the centre circle and see how long I could stay in the centre circle before I had to leave.

"That was just me joking about. The lads used to be on the line saying 'you can't'. I said 'I'll try it'. I just used to run around but don't come out of it. Got about 15 minutes once in one game, without leaving the centre circle."

The comments have triggered an uproar, with fans condemning Dean’s behaviour as “unprofessional” and “disgusting”, while also raising doubts over his integrity.

Dean indicated that these incidents dated back to the period before VAR, which was fully introduced in 2019, suggesting the refereeing body Pro Ref, formerly known as PGMOL, was then operating under previous leadership.

People within refereeing circles have been left baffled by the remarks and say there is no evidence to confirm whether these secret mini-games actually took place.