Former Premier League Referee Reveals "Games" He Played During Matches

Former Premier League referee Mike Dean has revealed he used to entertain himself during matches by seeing how long he could go without blowing his whistle. Speaking on Jamie Vardy's "Having a Party" podcast, Dean claimed he once went over 20 minutes in a top-flight game without making a single call, and on another occasion, managed to stay within the center circle for about 15 minutes.

Dean, who officiated 553 matches in the English top flight between 2000 and 2022, described his actions as "fun," but they have sparked outrage among fans on social media.

His comments also implied that his assistant referees were in on the "game."

"We had these little games we'd play for fun," Dean shared. "We'd say, 'Alright, we're starting now, right? Let's see how long we can go without blowing the whistle.' I did it a few times in the Premier League, of course, before VAR. I went 20-25 minutes a couple of times without blowing the whistle. You just let the game flow, let it go, let it go, let it go."

"I also did something else. I'd stand in the center circle and see how long I could stay there before I had to leave it. It was just my little joke. The lads on the touchline would tell me, 'You can't do it.' I'd say, 'I'll try.' I'd just run around, but I'd try not to leave it. Once, I lasted about 15 minutes in a match without leaving the center circle."

Dean also admitted on the podcast that when he attends Tranmere matches, he can't resist shouting at the referees.

"All the time," he said. "I think you just do it. Sometimes my daughter is next to me, and I'll say, 'Bloody hell, that should have been a red card.' And she just tells me, 'Dad, leave it. Enjoy the game.' But I can't."

"I still know some of the referees in League One and League Two. I'll try to help them improve if I can, but if a referee has messed up, they've messed up and they'll get it. It's part of the game. When I was an official, they did the exact same thing to me, so screw it. Everyone can say what they want, within reason."

Dean, who also served as a Video Assistant Referee during the 2022/23 season and was a Football League referee from 1995 to 2002, faced criticism from several managers throughout his career, most notably Arsène Wenger. The Frenchman accused Dean of being "not honest" and a "disgrace" after a 1-1 draw between West Brom and Arsenal in 2017.

Wenger received a three-match ban for his outburst, admitting that his "language and behavior were abusive and unacceptable" and that he had questioned Dean's integrity.

Dean later acknowledged that Wenger was the most challenging manager he had encountered but stated that off the pitch, they got along better.