Ex-PGMOL chief tears into Mike Dean over Premier League 'mini-game' claims
Mike Dean's claims of playing mini-games as he officiated Premier League games do not help the portrayal of referees.
That is the opinion of former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett, speaking exclusively to Football Insider.
The 58-year-old former referee claimed to have attempted to see how long he could go without blowing his whistle, or how long he could stay in the centre circle.
Dean's comments have prompted outrage among Premier League fans, with some believing that the claims bring the game into disrepute.
The ex-referee has caused controversy several times since he stepped down from on-field officiating in 2022, retiring at the end of the 2022-23 season.
Since leaving the pitch, Dean has appeared on podcasts and as a refereeing pundit, often stepping in to explain and contest decisions for the likes of Sky Sports.
Mike Dean antics 'would have been detected'
Speaking on the Jamie Vardy's Having a Party podcast, Dean made several claims about games he played during Premier League matches.
"There used to be games we'd have as a laugh. We used to say, 'we'll kick off now. Right, see how long we can go without blowing a whistle'," he said.
"I've done that a few times in the Premier League, before VAR obviously - went 20, 25 minutes without blowing a whistle.
"I used to do another thing. I used to stand in the centre circle - see how long I could stay in the centre circle before I had to leave. That was just me joking about. I got about 15 minutes once."
Hackett, who was in charge of PGMOL for almost six years between 2004 and 2010, has claimed that Dean's antics would have been spotted.
"Many will have seen the comments made by Former Premier League Referee Mike Dean," he told Football Insider.
"Mike officiated on the Premier League for 22 Years and 10 years as a FIFA Referee. His record also shows that he officiated the major cup games in his active career.
"Whilst I was in charge of the PGMOL, systems were in place to analyse in detail the performance of the match officials. I am sure that his claims would have been detected.
"To analyse performance we had the following:
Prozone referee analysis that reviewed every decision, movement and fitness profile of the referee.
A match assessor (former referee/assistant) in attendance to view and report on the referee's performance.
A match delegate in attendance at the game. (Former player/manager).
Referee coach in attendance.
"Not withstanding the media, fans, managers and of course betting companies, certainly his comments do not help people to understand the role of the referee."
Dean comments 'unfounded'
According to BBC Sport, refereeing figures reportedly consider Dean's claims to be "unfounded", yet their effect remains damaging for officials.
Given just how subjective the decisions made on a football pitch are, referees are among the most scrutinised figures in their respective countries.
The Premier League, especially, sees decisions discussed on a weekly basis, with officials routinely subject to abuse both within the stadium and on social media.
With the FA already struggling to convince young people to take up refereeing, comments like Dean's do not help the situation.