Mike Dean faces an uncertain future as a VAR official after spending two months without being appointed to oversee a Premier League match.
Dean is one of the most familiar faces in refereeing, having taken charge of 560 Premier League games over a 22-year period. He retired from refereeing last summer and became a dedicated video assistant referee, based in Stockley Park.
The 54-year-old often courted controversy during his time on the pitch, having dished out 114 reds and 2,046 yellow cards during his career. And that reputation has stayed with him this season, despite simply being tasked with reviewing decisions and advising the on-field referee.
He has been at the centre of some contentious calls this season and ESPN reports that his future is now in doubt. Dean has not been appointed to a Premier League or FA Cup game since February 11, when he oversaw Tottenham ’s 4-1 win over Leicester.
It seems that he is out of favour with the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) – the body which oversees officiating. Officials are judged on their performances and can be relegated to lesser matches if they fail to perform.
No decision has been taken on Dean’s long-term future, but his absence from recent matches suggests he is no longer in favour. Former Premier League referee Howard Webb is the man tasked with improving the standards of officiating and he has already made his mark.
Back in February he got tough, removing John Brooks from his role after a major gaffe and presiding over the immediate departure of Lee Mason and the planned retirement of the head of VAR, Neil Swarbrick, in the summer. At the time, around the halfway point in the season, VAR had intervened 48 times, with 42 decisions deemed correct by the PGMOL.
But February was a bad month for officials and it seems Dean is among the group who have fallen victim to the overhaul being instigated by Webb. Dean’s most high-profile mistake came back in August when he missed Cristian Romero’s hair-pull on Chelsea ’s Marc Cucurella, moments before a last-minute corner which Tottenham scored from.
Later in the season, he failed to intervene to send off Bournemouth midfielder Jefferson Lerma against West Ham and was criticised for not awarding Wolves a penalty for an apparent foul by Arsenal centre-back William Saliba.
Speaking to The Times last year, Dean insisted he had no regrets about his career. “The last four or five years, because you know you are going to finish one day, you make sure you go out and enjoy yourself,” he said. “I don’t go out refereeing with fear, I just love the job.
“If it comes across a bit arrogant and a bit of showmanship that’s fine, it’s people’s opinions, but I would never change what I’ve done over the last 22 years at all. I’ve not one regret.”
