Mike Dean admits huge error that denied Chelsea against Spurs

Mike Dean's damning confession: missed incidents, VAR scrutiny, and his struggles in the role. Insights into Premier League refereeing.

Mike Dean has admitted his error in the game between Chelsea and Tottenham where he refused to send Anthony Taylor to the monitor when Christian Romero pulled Marc Cucurella's hair. Spurs scored from the passage of play and denied Chelsea three points. (Photo credit: GOAL)

The scrutiny and inquest into the activities and perceived ineptitude of Premier League referees got a new boost on Thursday after former referee Mike Dean made a damning confession.

Mike Dean was on VAR duty when Tottenham played against Chelsea early last season. A decisive moment in the game towards the end saw Christian Romero pull Marc Cucurella’s hair off a corner kick, and on-field referee Anthony Taylor missed the incident.

Mike Dean confessed he saw the incident, but he didn’t want to heap more grief on Taylor, so he decided against calling attention to the incident. Tottenham went on to score from the same passage of play, and the rest is now history.

"I missed the stupid hair pull at Chelsea versus Tottenham, which was pathetic from my point of view," Dean said on Thursday. "It's one of them where, if I had my time again, what would I do? I'd send Anthony to the screen. 

"I said to Anthony afterward, '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."

In his time as a premier league referee, Dean officiated more than 550 games and became a full-time VAR official last season, but he was taken off duty for two months after the hair-pulling incident by the PGMOL and later announced to be leaving the body completely.

"That was a major error. If they don't score from the corner, it is not as big an issue," Dean said.

"I knew full well I would be standing down the week after. I asked to take a bit of time off because it wasn't for me."

The former referee said the VAR role left him "dreading" matchdays.

"I used to get in the car on a Friday and was dreading Saturday. I was thinking, 'I hope nothing happens,'" he added. "I used to be petrified sitting in the chair."