Referee Mike Dean has asked to not be involved in any Premier League games this weekend after he was targeted with online death threats alongside members of his family.
The death threats have been reported to the police and Dean is still set to referee the FA Cup tie between Leicester City and Brighton on Wednesday but won’t be involved in the weekend league games.
“I am glad my red card against Fulham has been overturned,” he said on Twitter.
“I’ve checked it, I’ve gone over 200 games without a single red card. My entire career. I am looking forward to helping the team in the important games this week! Thanks for your support!”
The incident with Soucek was the latest in a number of controversial decisions handed down by Mason and Dean, who are often paired together for games.
Last week, Southampton’s Jan Bednarek was sent off against Manchester United by Dean for infringing on a goal-scoring opportunity but had the red card overturned two days later.
The pair also denied Southampton a penalty against Aston Villa last weekend in another controversial decision.
The Times is reporting that the PGMOL are considering separating the two referees for a short spell.
