An Emotional Mike Dean Blows Final Whistle One Last Time As Career Comes To An End

The curtain came down on Mike Dean’s refereeing career after the Premier League season ended on Sunday.

After 22 years, 560 games, more than 2000 yellow cards and a record of 114 red cards, the time has come for the Premier League’s longest serving referee to hang up his whistle.

Dean has been involved in many of the most memorable moments in Premier League history, he was the man in the middle for the Manchester City QPR game in 2012, when Sergio Aguero went down in City folklore with that famous goal in the dying seconds to win the title. Despite the madness of that moment, Dean kept his professionalism and had to book Aguero for taking his shirt off. He said about that decision: “I had no choice; those are the rules.”

Mike Dean blows the full-time whistle for the final time in his career! He'll be missed 👏 ❤️ pic.twitter.com/qLv2Z2OZqU

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 23, 2022

Throughout his career, Dean has produced some memorable moments of his own, and often found himself as the centre of attention. His infamous ‘no look yellow cards’ were captured multiple times on camera and are now all over YouTube. His rather controversial gestures also made the headlines, with his most famous one coming at White Hart Lane after Tottenham Hotspur scored, he pointed towards the centre circle almost like he was a fan celebrating the goal. Dean also possessed great awareness, often letting the ball go through his legs to avoid contact, a move that later became his trademark move.

Some fans enjoyed his antics but as expected, some didn’t. The chant “Mike Dean, it’s all about you.” can often be heard from the crowd.

He took charge of his final match on Sunday, between Chelsea and Watford at Stamford Bridge, a game that had nothing riding on it as Chelsea had secured third place and Watford were already relegated. The game ended in a 2-1 victory for the Blues after a late Ross Barkley goal.

At full time, Dean looked visibly emotional as he blew the final whistle for the last time. A career full of antics and controversy has come to an uneventful end. There will be no more 'Mike Dean moments' from now on, his presence will be sorely missed by football fans around the country.