The Last Word On Football: Former Ref Mike Dean Slammed After 'Secret Games' Comment
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What did Mike Dean admit about “secret games” he played with other officials?
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Let's look forward to the weekend's football with Tony Cascarino and Dion Fanning. But before we get to the games, let's talk about whether we can trust the referees in English football to be, to use the cricketing analogy, playing with a straight bat. Let's hear the former Premier League referee Mike Dean claim that he used to take part in secret challenges while officiating.
There used to it used to be games 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. I've done that a few times on the Premier League, before VR obviously. Went twenty, twenty five minutes without blowing a whistle. A few times let it go, let it go, let it go. And he used to do another thing with me on the Premier League. I used to stand the centre circle and see how long I could stay in the centre circle before I had to leave. That was just that was just me joking about. But the lads used to be on the line you say, You can't I said, I'll I'll try it, see how fi I used to just like kinda run round, kinda go and but don't come out of it.
Got about fifteen minutes once in one game without leaving the centre circle. Easy
money. Tony Cascarino, what should we make of that?
Well, I thought it was April's Fools Day, Matt. I really did. Um, I can't believe a a former referee would come out and and he used the word we and so he's thrown everybody else under the bus. And plus who who is we? Not only Mike Dean saying it. I know you know it's hard to believe in Matt. It really is. Be because to come out with such an outrageous statement and then, you know, only stay in the s what was Is it the center circle fifteen minutes before I mean, how do you referee in that manner and without being questioned?
Now, did he ever actually do that? Has anyone actually got evidence that he may be boasting about it in the podcast looking for attention that he actually managed to do that?
Well it's just I just is it such an idiotic thing to do from a guy that, you know, did it for a laugh. I I I never ever felt Mike Mike Dean had a laugh in any shape or form, Matt. And hearing him play out and tell us all what he was doing as a referee. And you know, there are serious consequences to some of the things he's saying. And when he used the word we, I I kept thinking, right, which other referee is probably oh, is he meaning it's Indicating me? Am I part of this? Or is this just a made up illusion of him and his mind and what he was thinking?
And if and if he's saying that as well, I mean, m how might have it influenced him like in making off side decisions or refereeing fouls properly and you know It's a legitimate question I think to ask. I mean, could he have been a gambler and, you know, would would he would he have been doing things that might have influenced the odds on particular bets which now go way beyond just the outcome of a game?
Well, we've always assumed players did the betting thing, Matt. And look, I'm not a I'm not saying he did it, but it does open that up to that question of well, did you and your mates or you we as referees ever consider actually, you know, doing things that we know we could have a punt on and it might we might benefit from? You know, it just opened it up everything by what he said. And then it's an astounding way of going about, you know, on a podcast. I mean I mean I I don't know. As as far as I know, a sky I I haven't heard anything, or haven't seen anything, so I'm assuming he's on sucker Saturday tomorrow, but it might be to explain himself because I think Mike Dean really has to explain himself of what he said in that podcast.
Um, unless he said I had my fingers crossed and I didn't really mean it. I don't I don't know. It was it was very, very weird, Matt, because like you said, there's a lot of serious implications. And also, you were taking a risk with players' injuries as well, because if set of a really bad foul and you're not in the right position and it could have been, you know, w with the other officials, you've made a big mistake.
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Chapters
4 chapters
1
What did Mike Dean admit about “secret games” he played with other officials?
0:00–5:16
2
How did the hosts react to Mike Dean’s claims and what evidence was discussed?
5:16–12:28
3
What are the implications of Dean’s comments for referee integrity and the “cult of the referee”?
12:28–20:22
4
Did the panel explore whether referees could be influencing betting markets?
20:22–27:21
Speakers
4 identifiedMore from The Last Word with Matt Cooper
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