Mike Dean has admitted he would play secret mini-games while refereeing Premier League matches in a mystifying revelation that has outraged fans.
Dean has not refereed since retiring in 2022 after a 22-year officiating career, during which he took charge of 553 top-flight games.
While one of the most recognisable in his field, the 58-year-old was also a notably controversial figure for his unique manner of refereeing, with on-pitch gags and his self-admitted "arrogance" sometimes seeing him end up under the spotlight.
Pundit Garth Crooks famously blasted Dean as "petulant schoolteacher" in a now widely-shared clip on BBC's Final Score in 2015, saying: "He wants to be the star too often. It's really getting on my nerves because he's spoiling great games. It's not about you, Mike, it's about the games."
And now, Dean has found himself on the end of a torrent of criticism after saying he would set himself side-quests during matches, such as waiting as long as possible to blow his whistle.
Speaking on Jamie Vardy's Having a Party podcast, he said: "There used to be games that we used to have, as a laugh, we used to say, 'Right, we'll kick off now, right? See how long we can go without blowing a whistle.'
"Done that a few times in the Premier, before VAR obviously. Went 20–25 minutes without blowing a whistle a few times. Let it go, let it go, let it go.
"I used to do another thing in the Premier League. I used to stand in the centre circle and see how long I could stay in the centre circle before I had to leave.
"That was just me joking about. The lads used to be on the line saying 'you can't'. I said 'I'll try it'. I just used to run around but don't come out of it. Got about 15 minutes once in one game, without leaving the centre circle."
This has sparked uproar on social media, with supporters blasting Dean's actions as "unprofessional" and "disgusting", while also calling into question his integrity.
English refereeing governing body Pro Ref, formerly known as PGMOL, has been contacted for comment.
