Former Premier League referee Dean admits he deliberately stayed in the center circle during matches, sparking fan criticism

Former Premier League referee Mike Dean recently revealed on a podcast that during his time officiating Premier League matches, he played some “secret games” with other referees, with the comments drawing strong criticism from fans.

While appearing on the 《Jamie Vardy's Having a Party》 podcast, Dean said that before VAR was introduced, he tried to go as long as possible during matches without blowing his whistle. “We used to play games, such as after the match started, seeing how long we could go without blowing the whistle.”

He revealed that on several occasions in Premier League matches, he went 20 to 25 minutes without blowing his whistle. “I deliberately didn’t blow it, I just let the game continue and keep going.”

In addition, Dean tried another challenge: staying in the center circle for as long as possible without leaving the area. He said players on the touchline would even tell him, “You can’t do it.” He replied, “I’ll give it a try.”

Dean said that on one occasion he stayed inside the center circle for around 15 minutes during a match. “I just kept running inside it, but I didn’t go out.”

The comments quickly sparked controversy on social media. Many fans believed that for a top-level professional referee, deliberately not blowing the whistle or limiting his own movement during a match showed a lack of respect for professional duties.

One fan said: “Why are they laughing about this? As so-called top-level referees, this kind of behavior is unacceptable. Fans spend hundreds of pounds watching matches and expect professional officiating.”

Another fan questioned: “What else has he not revealed? They still call themselves professional referees.”

Another fan said they had watched many matches where referees chose to “let things go” in the opening stages, causing teams to miss quick counterattacking opportunities because of tactical fouls, and that Dean’s current comments left them “speechless.”

Some also believe referees already face enormous pressure, and Dean’s comments will only further increase outside doubts about the refereeing group.

Dean was promoted to Premier League referee in 2000 and ended his refereeing career in 2022. He then continued working as a VAR referee before leaving the role in 2023. During his 22-year refereeing career, he officiated 553 top-flight league matches and was one of the most recognizable referees in English football.

Dean was controversial throughout his refereeing career, particularly because of his strong personality on the pitch and his perceived “arrogant” style, which attracted attention from fans and players.

It is worth noting that the “not blowing the whistle during matches” experiences he mentioned occurred before VAR became widespread, meaning before 2019.

In fact, this was not the first time Dean had caused controversy after retirement by discussing his refereeing career.

Previously, he also revealed that while serving as VAR during the 2022 Chelsea vs Tottenham Hotspur match, he did not recommend that referee Anthony Taylor go to the pitch-side monitor to review the incident in which Cristian Romero pulled Marc Cucurella’s hair.

Dean explained at the time that Taylor had already warned both managers during the match, and the game had been very difficult. He did not want the review to create more trouble for his friend Taylor. Dean admitted that if he experienced the incident again, he would choose to send Taylor to watch the replay at the monitor.

Now, Dean has once again publicly discussed unusual experiences from his time officiating in the Premier League, leading to renewed scrutiny of the responsibilities and professional standards of referees in matches.