WIRRAL referee Mike Dean has been chosen to officiate Burnley’s Championship play-off final with Sheffield United – and his appointment may not be a good omen for the Blades or their boss Kevin Blackwell.
Dean was in charge on the day that Sheffield United dropped out the Premier League two years ago with a 2-1 home defeat to relegation rivals Wigan Athletic.
And the Premier League official’s only previous Championship play-off final appointment saw him referee Watford’s 3-0 victory over Kevin Blackwell’s Leeds at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium in 2006. Blackwell was sacked four months later.
Robbie Blake appeared as a half-time substitute for Leeds in that game, while Chris Eagles was an unused substitute for Watford.
Clarke Carlisle was not involved in the Hornets squad because of injury.
Dean’s last appointment to a Burnley game was for a 2-2 home draw against Blackpool in September 2007.
The assistant referees for the Wembley final on May 25 will be Darren Cann and Mick McDonough, while Lee Probert has been named as the fourth official.
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