Time to Sign Off: Demoted referee Dean makes a hash of it on the sidelines on Derby Day at Old Trafford

You know you’re having a bad day when you have been demoted to fourth official and then can’t even get your substitutes sign to light up.
Poor Mike Dean! You’re all wet in the cold Manchester rain…again. That was the case for one of the EPL’s least-favourite referees, who was demoted to the sidelines for Saturday’s action after two recent controversial penalty kick calls.
But then there was some more comic relief as Dean reached for his sign late in Saturday’s Manchester Derby and couldn’t get the little lights on the electronic device to work. That led to howls of laughter, that echoed around Old Trafford.
The Manchester United fans were already stomaching some highly controversial calls from his equally inept colleague Mark Clattenburg, who instead decided to turn down multiple legitimate penalty claims in the match by both sides. Maybe they could have used Mike Dean wizardry? Scratch that, we don’t need riots in the streets.
Dean was banished from the pitch after taking a liberal approach to the PGMOL’s new anti penalty area grappling rule. He drew harsh criticism for being all too quick to point to the spot for Raheem Sterling at Stoke and also to Christian Benteke the previous weekend and thus the association that manages the men in black decided it was time for Dean to go.
His recent decisions were surprising, since in the past he has been repeatedly criticized for instead showing too much restraint at cautioning players for bookable fouls and turning a blind eye to PK shouts. His passive style has made him the butt of many jokes on social media with the classic recurring tweets of “Apparently Mike Dean has left his cards at home” always seeming to make the rounds.
Dean is so hated by Arsenal fans that over 100,000 of the Gunners supporters signed a petition to ban Clattenburg from refereeing future games
Its no coincidence Dean is the preliminary leader our poll for worst referee and narrowly missed winning the season-ending award of England’s worst referee on more than one of our annual polls. CAST YOUR VOTE NOW BELOW!

Who is the worst referee in the English Premier League (2016-17)?

  • Stuart Atwell (0%, 1 Votes)
  • Simon Hooper (1%, 4 Votes)
  • Mike Jones (1%, 5 Votes)
  • Paul Tierney (1%, 7 Votes)
  • Neil Swarbrick (1%, 10 Votes)
  • Roger East (2%, 12 Votes)
  • Keith Stroud (2%, 13 Votes)
  • Craig Pawson (4%, 24 Votes)
  • Martin Atkinson (4%, 29 Votes)
  • Robert Madley (5%, 36 Votes)
  • Andre Mariner (6%, 37 Votes)
  • Lee Mason (6%, 38 Votes)
  • Kevin Friend (6%, 38 Votes)
  • Anthony Taylor (7%, 44 Votes)
  • Jonathan Moss (7%, 49 Votes)
  • Michael Oliver (9%, 62 Votes)
  • Mark Clattenburg (16%, 105 Votes)
  • Mike Dean (31%, 205 Votes)

Total Voters: 672

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