Friendly relations between referee's and crowds are not a common theme for football matches, but official Kevin Friendgot a cheer from the Aston Villafaithful after booking them.
The referee was the man in the middle for Villa's pre-season clash against Bristol City, the travelling Villa faithful in a playful mood as they made sure Friend got his fair share of light-hearted stick while morale was high in the sunshine at Ashton Gate.
As Villa lined up to take a free-kick, the fans burst into a chorus of "You're just a s*** Mike Dean", in reference to Friend's Premier Leaguecolleague.
The gentle ribbing continued for a tad longer when the crowd opted to serenade the referee with the slightly friendlier "Kevin, give us a wave".
However, the referee enjoyed the last laugh when instead of waving, he brandished a yellow card at the away end, before issuing them all with a warning as he jokingly pointed a finger at them.
In what was a rare sight, the crowd responded with delight, cheering at the official, which is likely to have been the first time Friend received such adoration from the away end.
Villa went on to win the match 3-0, courtesy of goals by Ollie Watkins, Jaden Bidace and Ezri Konsa as Dean Smith's side gear up for the new Premier League season, but it was the actions of Friend that dominated the social media discussion after the game.
One twitter user ironically claimed Friend's response is something that Mike Dean would be inclined to try, writing: "That's such a Mike Dean thing to do."
Should referees engage with the crowd more often? Have your say here.
Friend's ability to laugh and joke with the crowd went down well with fans, as one supporter wrote "This is brilliant," while another claimed "Well that's genius."
The light-hearted moment provided a welcome break to Villa fans from debating their captain's potential move to Man City, as Jack Grealishreportedly nears the Villa Park exit after Pep Guardiola's side prepare to mount a £100m move.
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