Rebecca Welch Creates Milestone as the First-Ever Female Referee in the English Premier League
Rebecca Welch sets a groundbreaking milestone as she becomes the inaugural female referee to oversee an English Premier League game, taking charge of Fulham's clash against Burnley on December 23
Rebecca Welch will make history as the first female referee to officiate a Premier League match when Fulham faces Burnley on December 23. Following her, Sam Allison will also break barriers by becoming the first Black referee in 15 years to oversee a Premier League match on December 26, as announced by PGMOL, the English football refereeing body, on Thursday.
Stephanie Frappart, the referee from France, is seen before the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group C match between Mexico and Poland at Stadium 974 in Doha, Qatar on November 22, 2022. (Photo by Maja Hitij - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
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Stéphanie Frappart to make history as the first woman to referee a mens World Cup match
"Rebecca has gained experience in high-stakes games, and I have full confidence that she will excel in the Premier League and serve as an admirable role model for women and girls who may have not considered refereeing as an option before," said Howard Webb, the chief of PGMOL's refereeing body, in an interview with the BBC.
"Sam also deserves this opportunity. Hopefully, his success will inspire other young individuals who may have never considered refereeing as a viable path," he added.
Welch, an experienced referee, continues to make history in November as the first woman to be appointed a fourth official in the Premier League. Her latest achievement comes after helping officiate Manchester United's victory against Fulham. Balancing her refereeing duties with her job in the National Health Service, Welch has been officiating since 2010 before deciding to pursue it full-time. Throughout her career, she has achieved numerous firsts.
In Harrogate, England, match referee Rebecca Welch is seen gesturing during the Sky Bet League Two match between Harrogate Town and Port Vale at The EnviroVent Stadium on April 05, 2021. The Coronavirus Pandemic continues to impact sporting events, with strict restrictions in place at stadiums across the UK. Government social distancing laws currently prohibit fans from attending events, resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)
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Referee Rebecca Welch makes history in English Football League debut
In 2021, she made history as the first female referee appointed to officiate an English Football League (EFL) game, overseeing Port Vale's 2-0 victory against Harrogate Town in the country's third tier of men's soccer.
This latest achievement solidifies Welch's position among the pioneering female referees who have made their mark on soccer's grandest stages in recent years.
In December of last year, Frances Stéphanie Frappart made history by becoming the first woman to referee a men's World Cup match. In 2019, she also became the first female referee to officiate a Ligue 1 match, and later that same year she made history once again by taking charge of a major men's European match. Then, in 2020, she achieved another milestone by officiating a men's UEFA Champions League match.
