{
  "id": 5328871,
  "title": "I used to play in-match games as a laugh - Dean",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/i-used-to-play-in-match-games-as-a-laugh-dean-5328871",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-03T12:37:30.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/used-play-match-games-laugh-114546777.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Former Premier League referee Mike Dean revealed during a recent podcast that he used to engage in mini-challenges during matches as a joke. He mentioned attempting to go without blowing his whistle for 20-25 minutes and staying inside the center circle for up to 15 minutes. These playful attempts were meant to be lighthearted and did not interfere with the match. However, Dean's previous statements have often stirred controversy, such as when he did not send off Tottenham's Cristian Romero for pulling Marc Cucurella's hair during a match against Chelsea in 2022. Dean retired as a full-time referee in 2022 after a 28-year career, which included officiating in the Football League and the Premier League.",
  "summary": "Former Premier League referee Mike Dean says he would stay in the centre circle for as long as he could during a match.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "BBC Sport Football",
        "title": "I used to play in-match games as a laugh - Dean",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/i-used-to-play-in-match-games-as-a-laugh-dean",
        "published": "2026-09-03T11:45:09.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "KahawaTungu",
        "title": "I used to play in-match games as a laugh – Dean",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/i-used-to-play-in-match-games-as-a-laugh-dean-5347174",
        "published": "2026-09-03T14:02:37.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}