Mike Dean reveals he refused to send a wrong decision to VAR because the referee ‘is a mate’ and wanted to save him from extra grief.
The former Premier League referee who these days appears on Sky Sports Soccer Saturday said he decided not to alert a fellow official to a missed call through the VAR system during last season’s game between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.
Dean, 55, had been the Video Assistant Referee during a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge last August when Tottenham’s Cristian Romero pulled Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella to the ground by his hair at a corner.
The foul wasn’t given by on field ref Anthony Taylor with Spurs going on to score a late equaliser during the resulting passage of play.
I actually can’t believe Mike Dean has willingly admitted this under his own steam. It’s bonkers. pic.twitter.com/xdwKNmMNdr
— HLTCO (@HLTCO) August 25, 2023
Ironically, Mike Dean has inadvertently hurt Taylor & Premier League referees still working with these remarks far more than he would have done had he simply sent his colleague to the screen.
Appears to confirm many fans’ fear – that *some* VARS support mates’ incorrect calls… https://t.co/YR5RWfG7WG— Darren Lewis (@MirrorDarren) August 25, 2023
“I missed the stupid hair pull at Chelsea versus Tottenham which was pathetic from my point of view,” Dean said on the Up Front podcast. “It’s one of them were if I had my time again, what would I do? I’d send Anthony to the screen.
“I said to Anthony afterwards: ‘I just didn’t want to send you to the screen after what has gone on in the game’.
“I didn’t want to send him up because he is a mate as well as a referee and I think I didn’t want to send him up because I didn’t want any more grief than he already had.”
Dean, who was referee for over 550 matches in the top flight and then took up the role of a full-time VAR official last season, was subsequently taken off VAR duty for two months after the game.
In July, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) said Dean was stepping down from the role and leaving the referees’ body.
“That was a major error. If they don’t score from the corner it is not as big an issue,” said Dean, who had acknowledged his mistake at the time of the incident.
“I knew full well I would be stood down the week after. I asked to take a bit of time off because it wasn’t for me.”
“I used to get in the car on a Friday and was dreading Saturday. I was thinking, ‘I hope nothing happens’,” he added. “I used to be petrified sitting in the chair.”
Watch the video interview for yourself below…
Here’s how Twitter users reacted as Mike Dean reveals he refused to send a wrong decision to VAR because referee the ‘is a mate’…
@HLTCO: What kind of quote is that?! You know you should send a ref to the monitor but you don’t because he’s a mate? You’re dealing with a sport millions of people are emotionally invested in, that’s utterly ridiculous on every level. The ramifications of this are absolutely massive. If Mike Dean is confident enough about this to openly admit it in an interview, every fan-base in the country can rightly assume that VAR officials have been influenced by personal relationships to refs when deciding what to do. I actually can’t believe Mike Dean has willingly admitted this under his own steam. It’s bonkers. This is another glaring example of the need for VAR communications with referees to be made available to clubs and the wider football-watching public. If VAR officials can happily ignore things to protect their “mates” there needs to be a shift to allow for genuine transparency.
@AllEnglandFlags: Soccer special on Saturday should absolutely rip into Mike Dean for this, completely humiliate and tear him down for this. Better yet, throw him off the show altogether.
@Trentvilla1: It is now the duty of everyone in the media to demand full transparency of VAR communication and the images they are seeing. We have know for ages that it couldn’t be trusted.
@246_36_254: Confession of Corruption
@gooner_south: So can you use your position to ask the @FA_PGMOL if they can be true to Howard Webb and his word that we can hear the audio when Onana should’ve conceded a penalty recently ?
@dannyjbradders: What other games has Mike Dean influenced over the years based on who he’s mates with and who he isn’t as an official, it’s incredibly unprofessional, his credibility over the years as a referee has to be put into question now. He’s now completely lapping up the Mike Dean show.
@OCONNELLAFCFAN: If you are unwilling to bother a mate for the right call, then how far off is I don’t fancy giving the right call b/c I like/dislike this player, manager, team, etc…
@KonceptKitz: It has confirmed what we have suspected. An old boys’ club that protects its own and immune to criticism because any manager or player that speaks out is immediately sanctioned by The FA. The latter is an insult when you consider he’s consciously taking a decision like that.
@david9potts: Get the audio sorted now so we can hear the conversations. This is becoming ridiculous now. Players are held accountable and banned for betting on games they have no influence over….so how can this possibly be allowed and not prompt an investigation.
@chelsearog1966: He can admit it now as there’s no jeopardy! Disgraceful! 🤬🤬🤬
@alfie_jenner: Mike Dean making it all about him and being unprofessional in the process? Well I am shocked….. Surely this can be described as match fixing. English football is so corrupt it’s a joke
@Dengiehammer: All along it’s been said, you cannot have the same referees watching over their mates mistakes. What Dean has said is absolutely disgraceful and should be retrospectively investigated
@Russell19871: Mike Dean in drawing attention to himself shocker
@Welshy1892_: It’s disgusting what sometimes goes on behind the scenes
@NUFCxRepublic: They have to put out all audio for referee decisions, this is nuts, he’s saying he didn’t want to bother with getting the call correct because his friend might have got a complaint from one of the coaches?!
@liamwrose4: Get rid of them all
@LaneHusband1: No surprises here that Mike Dean has no professional integrity.
@BallRon: The bigger question here is just how many similar incidents like this have directly influenced the result of any given match. More to the point how many teams have been relegated or missed out on top 6 spots due to this level of old pals act DISGRACEFUL
@markgoldbridge: Mike Dean admitting he didn’t do anything as VAR ref last season for the Chelsea hair pull vs Spurs as he didn’t want to cause his mate Antony Taylor grief confirms everything fans moan about every week. Arrogant, biased, incompetent officiating to look after your mates
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