Photo Credit: Punch Newspapers / Getty Images – Mike Dean
Ex-Premier League Referee Mike Dean Defends Career Over ‘Secret Games’ Comments
Former Premier League referee Mike Dean has defended his 25-year officiating career after facing backlash for admitting that he and other referees played “secret games” during matches.

The 61-year-old, who officiated 553 Premier League games between 2000 and 2022, made the revelation on the Jamie Vardy’s Having a Party podcast.

Speaking on the podcast, as reported by GB News on Saturday, Dean said one of the games was to see how long he could go without blowing his whistle.

“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,'” he said.

He added that he did it several times in the Premier League before the introduction of VAR, sometimes going 20 to 25 minutes without stopping play.

Dean also disclosed that he challenged himself to stay inside the centre circle for as long as possible during games, once managing about 15 minutes without leaving it.

His comments triggered criticism from football fans, with some questioning the professionalism of top-flight refereeing.

In response to the backlash, Dean issued a statement on social media defending his record and integrity.

“Throughout my 25 years as a professional referee, I have always applied the Laws of the Game to the best of my ability,” he said.

“My approach as a referee was always to allow the game to flow, and whenever possible I preferred to apply a high threshold for contact, which the players liked.”

“However, if I saw a foul challenge that needed me to take the appropriate action, I would give it from the correct position. At no stage was it my intention to question, criticise or undermine the integrity of refereeing in this country.”

Dean retired from on-field officiating in 2022 and worked as a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in the 2022/23 season before leaving the PGMOL in 2023.

SOURCE: Punch Newspapers –