Mike Dean let himself down by calling in a fellow referee to sign autographs

IF referees would only show a little common sense.

Mike Dean probably still wakes up with a start in the middle of the night with that patronizing phrase ringing in his ears.

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PTSD from hearing the same old story while serving as one of our most distinguished officials.

So why, now that he is retired, he cannot apply this to Sunny Singh Gill’s case is anyone’s guess.

From his pulpit at Sky Sports, whistleblower and pundit Dean wasted no time in spoiling Gill’s Premier League debut as he signed a few autographs for some kids at half-time at Crystal Palace last Saturday.

This man, who was in charge of an FA Cup final and high-level European matches, described the novice referee’s actions as “outrageous”, and called in one of his own matches.

And with that, Dean provided a tasty soundbite for his employers in the gallery.

Besides, if you don’t know who Dean is, and when you turn on the television on a Saturday afternoon, you can easily look up him as himself in old episodes of Ted Lasso.

Gill is the first referee of British South Asian descent to officiate in the Premier League. So that makes him a bit of a story.

In the 70s and 80s, instead of being asked to write his name in a little boy’s scrapbook, chances are he would have been called ‘P**ib*****d’ as he walked out, ready for the second half.

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His father Jarnail probably became all too familiar with the lyrics of the song ‘one, two, three the lights are flashing’. . . ‘ as the first Sikh to become an English football referee.

So seeing his son absorb the history of the occasion and enjoy the interaction with young, white supporters is a turn-out-the-light moment.

A sign that while people in football from any ethnic minority, or of non-white skin, face worrying levels of racist abuse on social media, there is hope when people meet in person.

As far as we know, Gill did not charge £50 each for his autograph.

Maybe that’s the problem some ex-“celebrity” references have with it.

And he did not appear to be aware that TV cameras scanning the stadium had captured this unprecedented, volatile exchange between a referee and some young fans.

There was also more criticism from other ex-referees, who claimed Gill is there to officiate while on duty – and not with a happy hand and to make it all about him.

While that’s insensitive, it’s at least a credible argument about referees keeping their distance and maintaining the air of authority.

However, it is probably safe to assume that Gill did not walk through the tunnel area during the break at Palace’s home match with Luton and announce his name to everyone within earshot.

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It is likely that the small child asked for his autograph.

And if so, what should Gill actually do?

Imagine the outrage if countless TV cameras had happened to see footage of the first Premier League referee of British South Asian descent ignoring the pleading face of an angelic little boy asking to sign in his scrapbook.

What will that do for race relations and the diversity dream in this country?

It’s almost as if Gill is damned if he does, and damned if he doesn’t.

What we need most of all is for people to show common sense.