Former Premier League referee Graham Scott has accused Mike Dean of "clickbait" following the ex-referee's comments about "playing games" during top-flight matches.
Dean revealed on Jamie Vardy's podcast this week that, during Premier League matches, he would play secret games that included seeing how long he could go for without giving a foul and his comments have caused considerable controversy.
"There used to be games we used to have, as a laugh we used to say 'Right, we'll kick off now, right. See how long we can go without blowing a whistle,'" Dean said on the podcast.
"I've done that a few times in the Premier League, before VAR, obviously. Went 20-25 minutes without blowing a whistle -- 'Let it go, let it go, let it go.'"
Former Premier League referee Mike Dean has caused controversy this week with his comments about playing games during matches. Catherine Ivill/Getty Images Speaking to TalkSport, Scott -- who refereed in the Premier League between 2015 and 2025 -- said that what Dean had revealed about "playing games" was not true.
"I worked with Mike loads of times -- they're not true stories," Scott said. "I wish people wouldn't do this kind of thing. It's the audio equivalent of clickbait, isn't it?
"It's to try and get people interested and laughing. It's palpable nonsense. [...] I found him [Dean] quite shy, personally. I found him quite small when he was in a private situation.
"What happened on the field, what happened in referee meetings is he put on a persona that was way too far the other way, as a kind of coping mechanism."
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Scott added: "It is dispiriting. I'd challenge Mike, I'd say 'Okay, would you stand in front of the current refs and repeat all those things?' And of course he wouldn't, because they're not true."
Dean's former boss at Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), Keith Hackett, insists the referee would not have been able to play the "games" he claims to have done while officiating.
Hackett said on X: "Mike Dean is in fantasy land!! The examination of performances assessors is forensic. When I was boss, referee's performances were forensically examined.