Mike Dean left baffled at one thing QPR did in dramatic Man City match in 2012 | OneFootball

QPR were the losing side in Manchester City's famous 3-2 win to clinch the 2012 Premier League title

Mike Dean has opened up on QPR’s strange actions during the final day of the 2011/12 Premier League season in their clash against Manchester City.

The game has been made famous because of the home side’s remarkable stoppage time turnaround to seal their first league title since 1968 at the expense of local rivals Manchester United.

Sergio Aguero’s goal gave Roberto Mancini’s side a 3-2 victory at home against the London outfit, who survived relegation from the top flight despite the loss.

Djibril Cissé and Jamie Mackie had given the Hoops a 2-1 lead that would secure their place in the top flight regardless of results elsewhere.

But news of Bolton Wanderers’ defeat to Stoke City meant that QPR were safe even with a defeat, which Wayne Rooney — who had scored at the Stadium of Light for Man United earlier that afternoon to put them top of the table — has previously wondered whether this impacted how the team defended those final moments against Man City.

Mike Dean offers referee’s perspective on QPR’s role in Man City title win

Dean was in charge of the game at the Etihad in May 2012, and he has also questioned the strangeness of QPR’s decision to boot the ball straight back to Man City from kick-off following Edin Dzeko’s late equaliser.

He’s revealed that the referee team noticed the decision at the time, and that they were all ready for something dramatic to unfold in the final moments as a result.

"They [City] make it 2-2, and they [QPR] just kick it back and give it to them," said Dean, via The Overlap on YouTube.

"And we were like, 'what's going on, why are they giving the ball back straightaway?' I said [that] in the ear piece.

"To kick off and give the ball straight back to them. Neil Swarbrick, the fourth official, said, 'keep switched on, something is going to happen'.

"You just knew something was going to happen.

"You could just tell.

"What was strange about it, once QPR found out they were safe, Jamie Mackie was on the pitch celebrating while the game was still going on."

QPR ultimately suffered relegation 12 months later, while Man United won back the league title from their Manchester rivals.

Meanwhile, Bolton have yet to return to the Premier League since their relegation in 2012, and now find themselves in League One.

Some former Man City players in the QPR squad that day in 2012 include Joey Barton, who was sent off in the 55th minute, as well as Nedum Onuoha and Shaun Wright-Phillips.

QPR’s role in Man City’s late comeback had to be impacted by Bolton result

While it’s not been confirmed, it must be the case that QPR knew they were safe even with a defeat given the result at Stoke.

Given that context, it was always understandable that they didn’t defend as well as they might have earlier in the game when their survival was still in question.

Man City also had a lot of momentum on their side after Dzeko’s goal went in, with the stadium urging them forward to get another and win the title.

Booting the ball from kick-off was a strange move at the time, and perhaps showed how nervous QPR were at that stage, but there’s nothing to suggest there’s any actual conspiracy from a cohort of ex-City players to help their former side to win the league that day.