You know what they say, the best referees are the ones you don't notice.

We notice Mike Dean quite a lot.

A quick surf around the Web unveils numerous video clip examples of Dean doing what he does best - being the centre of attention.

Like his theatrical blowing of the final whistle on Middlesbrough's promotion hopes in their play-off final defeat by Norwich at Wembley last season.

Like his apparent celebration of an early goal for Tottenham's Mousa Dembele in a victory over Aston Villa.

And like his skip of joy when Louis Saha scored, also for Spurs, in a North London derby. No wonder Arsenal supporters despise him.

Dean will also now forever be loathed by Albion fans after he controversially sent-off Dale Stephens in Albion's biggest promotion game for 25 years.

There has been enough forensic analysis of the rights and wrongs of the decision to red card Stephens for his challenge on Gaston Ramirez, the Uruguayan who, incidentally, despite requiring a stretcher and oxygen, was still able to play a full part in Boro's post-match celebrations.

He suffered a bad-looking injury, not a bad injury.

I digress. Dean's customary 'look-at-me' role in events at the Riverside Stadium raises a relevant topic for debate.

Why was he awarded the game in the first place?

Presumably on the basis of a supposedly big referee for the big occasion, a justification flawed in two important respects.

Dean is inexperienced in the Championship. He has taken charge of 39 matches this season. Albion's promotion decider at Boro was only his third in the second tier.

He is a Premier League referee with a better understanding of Premier League players and their individual character traits, because he comes across them far more often.

Regular Albion watchers know more about Stephens than Dean.

They know he is a competitive player in a competitive environment - the middle ground of the Championship - but not a dirty one.

He has received ten yellow cards in 45 games, two fewer than Boro counterpart Adam Clayton and the same number as Clayton's accomplice Grant Leadbitter.

Significantly, Stephens had never been sent-off in an eight-year career spanning almost 260 appearances with seven different clubs until Dean pounced.

They are the stats, considering his position, of a choir boy. A player capable of controlling his emotions, not maliciously losing his head just after nodding his team back to parity.

The other flaw in parachuting in Dean and others of his ilk in similar circumstances is the disrespect it shows to those who referee in the Football League week in, week out.

The deflating message it sends to them is that they are incapable of handling a match of such magnitude.

Referees like Andy Woolmer, who impressed in the Football League Trophy final at Wembley last month and who also received a higher than usual mark from Albion manager Chris Hughton for his performance when Fulham visited the Amex.

Middlesbrough will now be seeing much more of Dean next season. Good luck with that.

And, if Albion make it too, good luck to those who determine referee appointments.

It would be wise to keep Dean, Albion and, in particular, the Amex apart for a while.