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Former Premier League referee Mike Dean has refuted allegations of bias toward Manchester United after grievances from rival fans.
These concerns have been ignited by high-profile decisions made during crucial Premier League matches. A stigma has long surrounded United and referees, reaching a peak when former Liverpool winger Ryan Babel posted an image of referee Howard Webb donning a United kit after their 2011 match, resulting in a fine for him.
Present top-tier referee Anthony Taylor has overseen numerous clashes between the two North West clubs in recent years, often inciting fury due to Taylor's ties with Greater Manchester, having been raised in Altrincham and supporting the National League side.
However, Dean referee was eager to quash any suggestion of refereeing bias against any Premier League club, citing Taylor as an example.
"I get where you’re coming from, and Anthony is from Altrincham. He has supported them. He does Man United against Liverpool," he said, speaking on the Overlap's Fan Debate.
"Having said that, Liverpool fans never complained when I officiated them, and I’m a Tranmere fan.
"I get where you’re coming from, and there could be a bit more thought in that. Sometimes, unfortunately, the best refs that we have live in certain areas, so there’s nothing you can do.
"You’re not going to have Man City vs. Liverpool refereed by a guy who has only done one or two years in the Premier League, whether it's (Michael) Oliver, (John) Brooks, or (Chris) Kavanagh.
"It was like when Stuart Attwell did a game at Everton and gave a penalty, did someone complain?"
Dean was referring to the match between Everton and Luton Town, where the visitors were given a spot-kick. Luton secured a vital three points at a pivotal moment in the Premier League's fight against the drop.
The ruling infuriated Nottingham Forest, prompting a controversial social media statement from the East Midlands outfit, which eventually resulted in the club receiving an eye-watering fine.
Dean also addressed accusations of preferential treatment toward the Premier League's elite clubs. However, the 57-year-old maintained that match officials are now making bold decisions against those sides on their own turf more frequently than before.
He said: "You’ve got to ref what’s put out in front of you, if there’s a big call, make a big call. Refs aren’t afraid of big calls if it’s for the so-called, as you say, teams at Man U, City, or Liverpool. If it’s an unpopular call, it’s an unpopular decision.
"You’ve got to referee 11 v. 11 and forget what’s around. If you go to Burnley against Man City, I sent Sterling off for taking his shirt off, you could’ve said I overlooked it against a smaller team, but you have to referee what’s in front of you."
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