Mike drops 100: Mike Dean heritage plaque revealed after 100th red card

Mike Dean secured his status as a Premier League legend on Tuesday evening by dishing out his 100th career red card, with England and Manchester United left-back Ashley Young the landmark dismissal.

To commemorate the latest in a long line of iconic Dean moments, Paddy Power have unveiled a blue plaque in his honour, in the official’s hometown of Heswall.

We felt that the part-time ref, full-time meme should be honoured for his ‘give a penalty now, check it was actually a handball later’ attitude, which has brought him many admiring fans…as long as he wasn’t refereeing their teams’ games.

Mike Dean becomes the first referee to reach 100 PL red cards. #GOAT pic.twitter.com/kAMarnrR16

— Paddy Power (@paddypower) April 2, 2019

The plaque, awarded by the specially created Society for the Appreciation of Drama Queens, will be on display in Dean’s hometown of Heswall, Merseyside – and hails Dean’s qualities as a “Referee, Showman, Egomaniac”.

Given some of the rubbish he’s dealt out over the years and his tendency to take away fans’ will to live, the plaque was symbolically placed on a bin outside a Heswall kebab shop, creating a blue plaque moment that truly smells Mike Dean spirit.

Asked about the plaque spokesman Paddy Power said: “Mike Dean has given so much to the Premier League. He has pipped Edward Snowden and Julian Assange as the UK’s favourite whistle-blower.

“From the no-look yellow card to celebrating goals he basically assisted, he’s single-handedly transformed refereeing.  He’s revolutionised it from a boring pastime for balding middle-aged men to a slightly less boring pastime for balding middle-aged men. Mike Dean, we salute you.”