Mike Dean's 'minigames' confession during Premier League matches sparks fan fury
Dean reveals he wanted to be the centre of attention in the games.
Football supporters want former referee Mike Dean investigated. He admitted to playing ‘minigames’ while overseeing Premier League matches.
Mike Dean, 58, resigned from officiating in 2023. After more than 20 years of experience at the highest level of English football.
Now that his professional career has come to an end, Mike Dean confessed something absurd. He officiated a few matches to see the length of time he could go without blowing his whistle during Premier League games.
The ex-official also stated that he would aim to stay in the centre circle for as long as possible during some games.
Mike Dean reveals his antics when officiating Premier League games
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“There used to be games we would have for a laugh,” Dean revealed on Jamie Vardy’s Having a Party podcast.
“It would kick-off, right; see how long we could go without blowing a whistle. I done that a few times in the Premier League, before VAR, obviously. Went 20, 25 minutes without blowing the whistle.”
He continued: “I used to do another one 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. Got about 15 minutes once, in one game.”
Fans blast Mike Dean comments
His comments have prompted uproar among football fans. Many resorted to social media to express their disgust. One X (formerly Twitter) user even said Mike Dean should be probed.
One wrote: “Why the f‘s he admitting to this? ‘Oooh look at me I ruined the integrity of top level football matches while getting paid a fucking fortune for a laugh’ fing c. And people wonder why we all think refs are c.”
Dean confessed, rather dismissively. There was a part of him that wanted to be the “centre of attention” on the pitch.
“It’s about wanting to be more a part of the game than what I should have been,” Dean said. “If you play an advantage and it works off, you do celebrate it; if you get a decision right you kind of want to celebrate.”
“I’d celebrate with the lads in my ear pieces and stuff. If you play an advantage and somebody scores, I think it’s great. Love it.”
Why did Mike Dean do minigames during the matches?
He did some for amusement, and in others he wanted to be the centre of attention during the matches.
Is Mike Dean still officiating?
No, he retired in 2023.
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