Mike Dean admits playing secret games during Premier League matches

Former Premier League referee Mike Dean has sparked a furious backlash after admitting he used to play secret games during matches, including seeing how long he could avoid blowing his whistle, according to the Telegraph. Speaking on Jamie Vardy’s podcast, Dean claimed he once went over 20 minutes without a whistle and stayed inside the centre circle for around 15 minutes, describing the antics as harmless fun.

The comments, made about matches predating VAR, have angered the refereeing community, with Ref Support UK’s Martin Cassidy branding them “outrageous” and accusing Dean of handing critics of officials a “gold-plated tool” to abuse referees at every level. Pro Ref reportedly found no evidence supporting Dean’s claims. Fellow former official Mark Clattenburg offered a more measured response, saying Dean simply “has his own personality.” Dean officiated 553 Premier League games between 2000 and 2022.