- Dean and his family received death threats on social media
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The referee Mike Dean is to step back from officiating duties after his family was threatened on their private social media accounts, becoming the latest victims in an ongoing tide of online abuse against prominent football figures.
Dean has reported the abuse – which included death threats – to police and will take no part in the next round of Premier League fixtures, the referees’ body has confirmed. He is expected to return the following week. The incident apparently followed Dean’s decision to send off West Ham’s midfielder Tomas Soucek in the closing seconds of their draw with Fulham last weekend.
