Mike Dean’s punishment for failing to apply the rules of football in a Championship game is… promotion back to Premier League duty.
Dean awarded Leeds United a second-half penalty in their 3-2 defeat at Barnsley after a handball by Marc Roberts.
The only problem is that the offence occurred outside the 18-yard box.
Mike Dean awarded a penalty to Leeds for a handball outside the 18 yard area. Not surprised, he is incompetent afterall. pic.twitter.com/Idx19syNqS
— Yusuf Sambo (@Yusuf_Official) January 21, 2017
Questions were asked following that call, with some wondering why the second tier should suffer when a top-flight referee is taken off Premier League duty.
Mike Dean gives pen for handball outside the box. If he's deemed not good enough for PL this wkend why then is he inflicted on Championship
— Lynsey Hipgrave (@lynseyhipgrave1) January 21, 2017
Mike Dean reinstated for the next game week. After another blunder in the championship. Why demote him in the first place then?
— Dr. Mohammed Amali 🇳🇬 (@MoAmali) January 23, 2017
Not to worry, though. It wasn’t enough to keep the demoted referee down in the Championship for a second week.
Dean will be back in top-flight action on February 1, officiating the bottom-half clash between Leicester City and Burnley.
The reigning champions have slipped back into the relegation mix, currently sitting just five points above the drop zone, and some of their fans might be less than thrilled to see the much-criticised Dean in charge.
The red cards he showed to West Ham’s Sofiane Feghouli against Manchester United and Southampton’s Nathan Redmond against Tottenham Hotspur were both questioned by fans, while many feel he made a mistake by not sending off Everton midfielder Ross Barkley in the Merseyside Derby.
And some – not just Leicester supporters – seemed a little baffled to be seeing the 48-year-old return so soon.
Mike Dean back in the premier league? Tut, tut, tut.
— Olivia Landry (@livlan) January 23, 2017
why is mike dean back?
— Phil (@filipenho_) January 23, 2017
