Mike Dean responds to backlash over 'secret games' admission in Premier League
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Neutral summary
Former Premier League referee Mike Dean has issued a statement after facing intense criticism for revealing on Jamie Vardy's podcast that he and other officials played 'secret games' during matches, such as deliberately not blowing the whistle for up to 20–25 minutes or refusing to leave the centre circle. Fans called for an investigation, condemning the behaviour as 'disgusting' and 'unprofessional'. In his response, the 58-year-old insisted he always applied the Laws of the Game to the best of his ability and preferred a high threshold for contact to let the game flow, which players liked.
How it was framed
Outlets: 10. Countries: 4. Facts in the shared core: 3.
Publication timeline
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Daily Mail (outlet profile)
Fans call for investigation into Premier League refs after Mike Dean reveals their 'minigames' of deliberately not blowing the whistle for 25 minutes or refusing to leave the centre circle. Dean, 58, retired from refere…
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The Independent (outlet profile)
Mike Dean sparks fury after admitting to secret mini-games while refereeing Premier League matches. Dean said he used to see how long he could go before blowing the whistle as fans called into question his integrity
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Kicker (outlet profile)
Ex-Premier-League-Schiedsrichter verrät skurrile "Spielchen" auf dem Platz. "Aus Spaß" setzte sich Ex-Schiedsrichter Mike Dean in manchen Premier-League-Spielen bizarre Ziele - zum Beispiel möglichst lange nicht zu pfei…
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The Independent (outlet profile)
Mike Dean’s latest ego attack risks doing untold harm to referees. Comment: Dean made a baffling admission about playing secret mini-games while refereeing Premier League matches but his legacy is far from the only thin…
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RMC Sport (outlet profile)
"25 minutes sans siffler": cet arbitre anglais se lançait des "jeux" en plein match de Premier League "pour blaguer". Grand nom de l'arbitrage anglais, Mike Dean a révélé les petits jeux qu'il aimait se lancer lors de c…
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Sky News (outlet profile)
Ex-Premier League ref admits he tried not to blow whistle during matches as a 'game'. A former Premier League referee has sparked a backlash after revealing he used to entertain himself by "joking about" and playing "ga…
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La Nación (outlet profile)
La confesión de un histórico árbitro de la Premier League: “A ver cuánto aguantamos sin cobrar”. El inglés Mike Dean contó que la terna arbitral se imponía desafíos durante los partidos para divertirse
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iNews (outlet profile)
Mike Dean is no more than an attention-seeking drama queen. His tall tales undermine the current crop of Premier League referees
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WalesOnline (outlet profile)
Mike Dean releases statement after backlash over referee's 'secret games' comments. The FA have faced calls for an investigation into Mike Dean, after the former referee admitted that he and other officials used to play…
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Ouest-France (outlet profile)
« On a tenu 20 à 25 minutes sans siffler » : un ancien arbitre anglais déclenche un tollé en avouant des jeux secrets. Mike Dean, arbitre de Premier League à la retraite, était l’invité du podcast tenu par l’ancien foot…
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GB News (outlet profile)
Mike Dean issues statement following backlash to playing 'secret games' while refereeing. Mike Dean has issued a statement following an intense wave of backlash after the former Premier League referee said he would play…
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The Independent (outlet profile)
Mike Dean clarifies comments after secret mini-game admission sparks backlash. The former Premier League referee caused a furore after comments that he would play mini-games while refereeing ‘as a laugh’
Factual core
- Former Premier League referee Mike Dean admitted to playing secret mini-games while officiating matches, including seeing how long he could go before blowing the whistle.
- Fans called for an investigation into Premier League referees after Mike Dean's revelations.
- Mike Dean said he challenged himself to stay out of the center circle during matches.