Mike Dean speaking on the Up Front podcast with Simon Jordan.

“I missed the stupid hair pull at Chelsea versus Tottenham which was pathetic from my point of view.

“It’s one of them where if I had my time again, what would I do?

“I would send Anthony (Taylor) to the screen.

“I think I knew if I did send him to the screen… he has cautioned both managers, he has had a hell of a game, it has been such a tough game end to end.

“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.”

Mike Dean was taken off VAR duty for two months and has since retired from the game.

Now that he has admitted this one, you have to ask yourself, in just how many matches did Mike Dean do something similar?

Surely action should be taken now by the authorities against Mike Dean, potentially charges of bringing the game into disrepute, although now he is retired, not sure if that would be possible or be any kind of real punishment. Though certainly getting him to pay back the significant cash he earned whilst not doing his job properly, should be actioned.

Newcastle United fans have seen their team suffer so often when Mike Dean has been both referee and VAR official.

Some of those stand out horror shows were when Mike Dean only travelled a few miles from his home on the Wirral to officiate at Liverpool v Newcastle matches, so often giving the scousers some laughable help / decisions. Including when in December 2021 with Newcastle United 1-0 up, a clash of heads saw Isaac Hayden down on the ground holding his head, yet Mike Dean allowed play to continue for significant time instead of blowing his whistle as the rules dictated, the ball played into the box once again and Liverpool scoring.

Amongst his Newcastle United VAR indiscretions, in January this year, during Newcastle v Fulham at St James’ Park, on the coming together of Trippier and Decordova-Reid, VAR official Mike Dean directing referee Robert Jones to watch a certain TV replay, which when anybody looks at it, you do think this is a penalty that could be given, as the Newcastle player doesn’t appear to play the ball, there is contact with the Fulham player, who then falls to the ground, and contact is clearly made just inside the box.

However…when you see it from the other angle, the one that Mike Dean didn’t direct the referee to watch, it was then clear as day that it is actually Decordova-Reid who stands on Trippier’s foot and then throws himself to the ground. Never mind whether it was a penalty or not, it was actually clearly a foul ON the Newcastle defender, which I’m sure the on-pitch referee would have spotted, like the rest of us at home, if Mike Dean had shown him the right angle / replay.

As for this revelation when speaking to Simon Jordan, it suggests two things to me.

That Mike Dean clearly thinks he is untouchable in terms of getting any punishment after having basically admitting to at best, a dereliction of duty, at worst – cheating.

It also reminds us all of just how arrogant Mike Dean is.