1 week ago
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The referee for Manchester City's iconic title-winning game against QPR in 2012 has thrown his weight behind a conspiracy theory pedalled by Wayne Rooney.
Mike Dean believes QPR did one thing which, whether by design or accident, helped Sergio Aguero and City seal their dramatic comeback.
City scored twice in extra-time to leapfrog Manchester United - who had won 1-0 at Sunderland - and lift their first Premier League title under Roberto Mancini.
But Dean has questioned why QPR booted the ball back to City from kick-off after Edin Dzeko's 92nd-minute equaliser - something Rooney has picked up on before.
'They [City] make it 2-2, and they [QPR] just kick it back and give it to them. And we were like, "what's going on, why are they giving the ball back straightaway?" I said [that] in the ear piece,' Dean told The Overlap Fan Debate, brought to you by Sky Bet.
'To kick off and give the ball straight back to them. Neil Swarbrick, the fourth official, said, "keep switched on, something is going to happen." You just knew something was going to happen. You could just tell.
Mike Dean wonders why QPR gave Man City the ball so easily before their iconic winner in 2012
Wayne Rooney, who was on Man United's team that day, has previously raised the issue
'What was strange about it, once QPR found out they were safe, Jamie Mackie was on the pitch celebrating while the game was still going on.'
Rooney chimed in: 'They had loads of ex-City players in there as well.'
QPR did indeed have three former City stars starting that day in Nedum Onuoha, Shaun Wright-Phillips, and Joey Barton, with the latter sent off in the 55th minute.
Daily Mail Sport has found footage of QPR's restart after Dzeko's equaliser which shows them kicking the ball immediately out of play near City's corner flag.
Nowadays, that is not an uncommon tactic, but QPR made no attempt to hem City in and win the ball back high up, which is the usual strategy. Instead, Mark Hughes' side dropped off, though they may have felt that was the rational thing to do anyway.
Some may wonder, though, that if QPR had intended to watse time by booting the ball away, why they did not at least try to hang on to the ball a little longer.
Obviously, Rooney and Dean's comments, and the implication that QPR were somehow attempting to help City, are nothing more than speculation that we cannot prove.
It is not even entirely clear if QPR did know they were safe by the time Aguero scored his legendary winner.
Rooney also raised how QPR had three former Manchester City stars playing that day
Bolton's 1-1 draw with Stoke City meant the London side had narrowly avoided the drop, but their devastated reaction after Aguero's winner suggests some of the defenders may not have known they were in the clear.
Moreover, Barton has dismissed Rooney's comspiracy as 'b****cks' in the past. He said on his Common Sense Podcast: 'At the time, we were fighting for our own survival, so we had to better other people's results on that day to stay up. As it was, we all got beat.
'I have to disagree with Wayne. Wayne is trying to say that this game is some kind of bent fixture, that the lads had given up. He does say Paddy Kenny has basically thrown the two goals in that lead to City winning the league. I don't think Paddy knew.
'You might say Paddy should have done better with the goals, but I don't think Paddy Kenny is the type of lad to throw a game to help Man City win the league.
'So Wayne, and the other Man United fans - and I know loads of Man United fans have come up and asked me - no. I got told by Bobby Zamora to get someone sent off, so I tried. That's where the book stops with me.
'Your conspiracy theories, Wazza, are untrue. Sometimes people tell you stuff in life and you want to believe it because it fits your narrative and you want to have that cognitive dissonance.
'It might be the same fellas who were saying that if you get one more hair transplant it might come back. This might be the time you get a fringe. As you found out, that is complete nonsense.
'Stop wasting your time on nonsense. The game at Man City was not thrown. Man City won the league, Man United never. Am I happy about that? Abso-f***ing-lutely, because I hate Man United. But I didn't go out my way to make City win the league.
Joey Barton has told Wayne Rooney to 'get f***ed' over his Manchester City conspiracy theory
'To say that me, or Djibril Cisse, or Shaun Wright-Phillips, or Nedum Onuoha, or Paddy Kenny have somehow concocted to make sure you don't win the league is b****cks.
'You should have got yourselves in a better position. You didn't. Man City had to beat QPR on the last day of the season at home, who were in the bottom four. That's your fault.
'The fact he's even had a sniff of winning the league is a testament to the lads at QPR and the battle they put up, because that was an easy f***ing win for City.'
At the end of the rant, Barton added: 'QPR stayed up, happy days. City won the league, happy days. And you ****s were all crying on the pitch at the f***ing Stadium of f***ing Light or Middlesborough or wherever you was, which is f***ing triple whammy. Get f***ed.'
Rooney, who scored for United on the same day, has previously raised doubts about the game.
Speaking to The Sun in 2022, he said: 'Paddy Kenny should have done better for a couple of the goals.”
'City get the second goal and QPR kick it straight back to them and that’s never been questioned – I find that strange.
'Djibril Cisse celebrating after the game with the City players, but yeah listen it’s a historic moment in the Premier League so I’m sure that, if you are not involved as a Manchester United player, that’s probably one of the greatest moments in the league.'
Cisse has denied jubilating with City's stars, saying he only celebrated with Samir Nasri because he was a long-term friend.
Mike Dean was speaking on The Overlap Fan Debate, brought to you by Sky Bet.
