Mike Dean questioned Premier Leaguedebutant referee Sunny Singh Gill’s decision to sign autographs at half time during Crystal Palace’s draw with Luton Town.
Singh Gill was taking charge of his maiden English top-flight game on Saturday, becoming the first referee of British South Asian descent to oversee a Premier League match.
He was pictured signing autographs for young fans before heading down the tunnel at half time at Selhurst Park.
Dean, who spent over two decades refereeing in the Premier League, argued it was not appropriate to do so mid-way through a game.
Appearing on Sky Sports Gillette Soccer Labs, Dean was asked if he had ever signed autographs during his career and replied: “I did, after about 300 games! I don’t see the point, he’s on a hiding to nothing now.
“If something happens in the second half, which I’ll guarantee the way refereeing goes sometimes, but you don’t sign autographs. Maybe when you’re warming up before the game but not at half time when you’ve got a game to do. It’s just bang out of order.”
Crystal Palace and Luton drew 1-1 on Saturday, Cauley Woodrow’s 96th-minute equaliser cancelling out Jean-Philippe Mateta’s first-half goal.
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner praised Singh Gill’s performance at full-time.
“It was a good performance, it’s always a good performance for a referee if he doesn’t decide the game for one of the teams and it was a good game,” he said. “It was not too difficult to whistle, there were no strange situations. It was good and aggressive, but not brutal so a good performance and congratulations to the referee for his first game in the Premier League.”
In taking charge of the fixture, Singh Gill became the seventh referee outside of the Professional Game Match Officials Limited’s (PGMOL) — the body which runs refereeing in England — select group to officiate a Premier League match this season, following in the footsteps of Sam Allison, Sam Barrott, Bobby Madley, Josh Smith, Rebecca Welch and Lewis Smith.
He has been refereeing since he was 17 and in April 2021, he and his brother Bhupinder achieved a milestone as the first duo of British South Asians to officiate in the same Championship match — Bristol City against Nottingham Forest. He has predominantly officiated in League One and the Championship this season.
Dean retired from refereeing in 2022. He has remained in the public eye since, working for Sky Sports, featuring on podcasts, appearing in adverts for gambling company Paddy Power and making a brief cameo in an episode of Ted Lasso.