Mike Dean opens up controversial red card that led to death threats

11 August 2023 , 16:51

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Former Premier League referee Mike Dean (Image: BBC Sport/YouTube)

Former Premier League referee Mike Dean has opened up about receiving death threats after sending off West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek back in 2021.

Dean gave Soucek a red card for making contact with Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic with his elbow and stuck by his decision after watching it back on the pitchside monitor. However, the elbow appeared to be accidental and Dean apologised to the Czech international a few weeks later.

However, both he and his family were targeted on social media over the decision, with Dean's daughter telling him over the phone while he was driving home from the game that she had been bombarded with abusive messages, including a threat to petrol-bomb the family's house.

"It was hard. My daughter is football-mad, a season-ticket holder at Tranmere. She was 24 at the time but she couldn't get her head around the fact I'd made a decision on the pitch and, as a result, I was getting all these threats.

"I spoke to the Premier League that night," he told the Athletic. "They said to leave it until the morning and they would deal with it then. But I'd heard nothing by 10am and, rightly or wrongly, I went to the police station to report it.

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"I went to Spain for a week to get away from everything and I told the Premier League I didn't want to referee the following weekend. They were fine with that and a few weeks later I had another game at West Ham.

"As soon as I saw Soucek, I went over to him and apologised. The police found the lads who had been sending the messages.

Dean and his family received death threats after he sent off Tomas Soucek in 2021 (PA)

"They lived in Ireland, two young lads, and the police had got hold of them. 'Do you want to take it any further?' they asked. I said no because they were just kids. If it had been someone older, it might have been different."

Soucek also spoke out about against the abuse, writing on social media: "Whatever decisions are made on the pitch should stay on the pitch. I don't like hearing about it interfering with personal life and I send Mike Dean and his family my support.

"There is no place for abuse of any kind. It is in the past and I'm now focused on the rest of the season."

Dean is joining Sky Sports as part of Soccer Saturday this season.

Matthew Cooper