Rebecca Welch has made history as the English Premier League’s inaugural female referee, as announced by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited on the league’s website.
Her debut as a central referee is slated for December 23rd when Fulham takes on Burnley.
Originating from Washington in Tyne and Wear, Welch commenced her refereeing career in 2010 while employed in the National Health Service. Later, she dedicated herself full-time to refereeing, leaving her NHS position.
In 2021, she achieved a milestone by becoming the first woman appointed to officiate an EFL match, overseeing the League Two fixture between Harrogate Town and Port Vale.
Throughout her career, Welch has overseen significant games in the Women’s Super League and was the referee for both the 2017 and 2020 Women’s FA Cup finals at Wembley Stadium.
She attained recognition in December 2020 by being added to FIFA’s Elite List of International Match Officials. Welch then officiated matches at the 2022 UEFA Women’s European Championship and the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Further breaking barriers, she was the first woman to referee matches in the Championship and FA Cup third round. In a recent milestone, Welch acted as the first woman fourth official in a Premier League match during the fixture between Fulham and Manchester United.
In an interview with the Independent, Welch reflected, “I played football and didn’t even think about refereeing until one of my really good friends, who is a referee, refereed us.”
“I spent the whole game telling her how to do her job! Her response was, ‘If you think it’s that easy, give it a go.’ That’s how it happened and 10 years later here I am.”
POGMOL revealed that Sam Allison is set to make history as the first black referee in the league since Uriah Rennie, who officiated for 11 years until 2008.
Allison, aged 42, is scheduled to oversee the match between Sheffield United and Luton Town on Boxing Day, Tuesday, December 26.
Prior to his focus on refereeing, Allison, who previously served as a firefighter, enjoyed a successful career as a player.
He began with Swindon Town and went on to play for Bristol City, AFC Bournemouth, and Exeter City. Additionally, he made appearances for England schoolboys and represented Great Britain.
Transitioning to refereeing after the introduction of the Elite Referee Development Plan, Allison committed to officiating full-time.
His promotion in 2020 marked him as the third black referee in the EFL, following the paths of Rennie and Trevor Parkes.
With over 100 matches officiated in the EFL, Allison has steadily built his career in refereeing.
Expressing his passion for football in March, he stated, “I love football so much; it’s in my blood and it’s innate. I’d do anything to be involved in the game. Unfortunately, I didn’t reach the pinnacles as a football player but hopefully one day I can do it as a referee.”
