Mike Dean condemned after admitting secret on-pitch mini-games while refereeing Premier League matches | OneFootball

Former Premier League referee Mike Dean has provoked backlash after admitting he played secret mini-challenges during matches, delaying his first whistle and trying to remain in the centre circle for as long as possible.

Dean said: "We used to say, 'We’ll kick off now. Right, see how long we can go without blowing a whistle.' I’ve done that a few times in the Premier League, before VAR obviously, [I] went 20, 25 minutes without blowing a whistle." He added: "I used to stand in the centre circle, see how long I could stay in the centre circle before I had to leave... I got about 15 minutes once," speaking on Jamie Vardy’s podcast.

The revelation infuriated former Aston Villa forward Gabriel Agbonlahor, who told talkSPORT he found Dean confrontational and arrogant, calling him "a prat".

Agbonlahor questioned whether such games might have affected key decisions in the Premier League, warning that without VAR a static referee could easily miss penalties or free kicks.

According to The Guardian, refereeing organisation Pro Ref are puzzled by the claims. There has been no formal statement, and the episode is likely to bring added scrutiny to Dean’s media appearances.

Source: Goal.com

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