Former referee Mike Dean has backed claims from Man Utd legend Wayne Rooney conspiracy theory?around Man City’s dramatic Premier League title win in 2012.

The Red Devils were beaten to the Premier League title on the final day of the 2012 season despite their 1-0 win over Sunderland.

Man City?were losing 2-1 at home to relegation-threatened QPR going into second-half stoppage time before Roberto Mancini’s side scored two goals in two minutes and five seconds to take the victory and the title.

Man Utdlegend Rooney has since?voiced skepticismaround Sergio Aguero’s late winner, while he criticised QPR’s players for “celebrating after the game with the City players”.

Djibril Cisse hit back at those accusations from Rooney last monthand insisted it was understandable that he celebrated with compatriot Samir Nasri as both teams had achieved something with QPR staying up.

And now former Premier League referee Dean has questioned why the QPR players kicked the ball back to Man City after Edin Dzeko’s equaliser on 92 minutes.

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Dean told?The Overlap Fan Debate: “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.

“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.

“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 chipped in: “They had loads of ex-City players in there as well.”

The Man Utd legend’s claims have previously stirred something in former Man City and QPR midfielder Joey Barton, who didn’t hold back the swears for Rooney.

On Rooney’s theory, Barton said:?“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.

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“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.

“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.’

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.”

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