Mike Dean has pulled back the curtain on one of football’s most unpredictable jobs—and revealed that refereeing Premier League matches sometimes came with a bizarre side challenge.
The former top-flight official admitted he used to play secret “games” during matches, including one where he challenged himself to go as long as possible without blowing his whistle.
Dean made the surprising revelation while appearing on the Jamie Vardy’s Having a Party podcast, explaining that the games were largely done for fun and had been discussed among officials.
But one of his challenges sounds particularly difficult for a referee: simply letting the game flow.
“There 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,'” he said.
“I’ve done that a few times in the Premier League, before VAR, obviously. Went 20-25 minutes without blowing a whistle — ‘Let it go, let it go, let it go.'”
Dean’s revelation provides a fascinating glimpse into the mindset of a referee operating before the introduction of VAR.
Rather than immediately stopping play for minor infringements, he admitted that he sometimes challenged himself to allow the action to continue.
And that was not the only unusual game Dean played.
The former referee revealed he also challenged himself to remain inside the centre circle for as long as possible without having to move outside it.
“I used to do another thing in the Premier League,” he said. “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.’
“You’d just, like, kind of run round, kind of go … But don’t come out of it [the centre circle]. I got about 15 minutes once, in one game, without leaving the centre circle.”
Dean did not identify the matches in which he attempted either challenge.
VAR was introduced into the Premier League in 2019, meaning Dean’s “games” would have been played during the pre-VAR era if they were limited to his time as an on-field referee.
Pro Ref declined to comment when contacted by ESPN, while the Premier League was also approached for comment.
The revelation adds another unusual chapter to Dean’s long and eventful career.
He refereed more than 500 Premier League matches across a top-flight career spanning over two decades, becoming one of the most recognizable officials in English football.
Dean’s time in officiating has also included controversy.
In 2023, he admitted that while serving as VAR during a Chelsea versus Tottenham match the previous year, he failed to alert referee Anthony Taylor to a missed decision because he wanted to spare Taylor “more grief.”
Dean had retired from on-field refereeing in 2022 and worked exclusively as a VAR during the 2022-23 season before stepping away from officiating altogether in 2023.
Now, away from the pressure of matchday decisions, Dean’s latest revelation offers a very different look at life in the middle of a Premier League game.
For fans accustomed to analysing every whistle, every decision and every VAR intervention, the idea of a referee quietly keeping score of his own private challenges is certainly a twist worth remembering.
Toosin is a dedicated sports writer with a strong background in crafting engaging and insightful content. With experience at Goal, he has developed a sharp editorial sense and a refined storytelling approach that brings depth and perspective to sports journalism. His passion for the game goes beyond the headlines, as he captures both the excitement of the sport and the compelling human narratives behind each event. Toosin’s work resonates with a broad and diverse audience, making global sports stories accessible, relatable, and impactful.
