A former top flight referee has admitted to a major blunder – more than TWO YEARS after the incident.
Speaking on Sky Sports Football Special, ex-Premier League whistler Mike Dean praised referee Tony Harrington’s decision to send off Southampton defender Jack Stephens’ for pulling Chelsea star Marc Cucurella’s hair in the Saints’ 5-1 defeat at St Mary’s – saying he got a similar call wrong in 2022. Stephens now faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines, with the dismissal his second already this season – on a miserable night for Southampton, who are managed by former Rangers man Russell Martin.
In August 2022, Spurs defender Sergio Romero pulled the hair of Chelsea’s Euro 2024 winning defender Cucurella during a heated London derby with Tottenham, but neither on-field ref Anthony Taylor or VAR official Dean considered it worthy of a red card at the time. The decision proved vital, as Spurs striker Harry Kane nodded in from the resulting corner for a stoppage-time leveller to deny Chelsea victory and spark ugly touchline clashes between the rival benches.
When questioned about the red card by Paul Merson, veteran ref Dean said: “Unfortunately, I was involved in one of these incidents about three years ago. I think [Sergio] Romero pulled Cucurella’s hair. And I didn’t do it [send him off]. But he’s clearly done it, he’s got to be sent off. It’s his second red card of the season. It has to be a sending off, it can’t not be.”
When pushed further by Merson, Dean continued: “[Romero wasn’t sent off] because I got it wrong.”
Despite former Rangers forward Joe Aribo cancelling out Axel Disasi’s early opener, Southampton were already 3-1 down when Stephens received his marching orders in the 39th minute – with further strikes in the second-half cementing their place at the foot of the Premier League table.
However gutted boss Russell Martin, who has watched his side win just once in the league this season, pinpointed the decision as a turning point. The former Scotland cap said: “Some of the football that we played at 11 v 11 was amazing and we should have been 1-0 up. We conceded such poor goals but the response was brilliant and we were so in the game until a big moment [Stephens’ red card] changed it.”