On December 23rd, Rebecca Welch will officiate a Premier League match between Fulham and Burnley, making her the first female referee to do so.
Three days after this event, Sam Allison will become the first black referee in 15 years to officiate in the top tier during the Sheffield United v Luton match at Bramall Lane.
Welch and Allison belong to the development group of officials fast-tracked by Professional Game Match Officials Limited to help improve the quality of refereeing in the four top divisions in England. The pair have been refereeing in the Championship this season, with Welch also acting as a fourth official in the Premier League.
“Rebecca and Sam were part of the development group that was created last year,” said Howard Webb, the chief refereeing officer at PGMOL. “Credit to them they have delivered good performances in the Championship this season and deserve their opportunities due to their quality and the talent that they have.
“It is undoubtedly a positive development that Rebecca will be the first female to officiate in the Premier League, and Sam will be the first black referee since Uriah Rennie in 2008. This sends a strong message and sets a positive example for under-represented communities.”
“We must strive for more diversity because every community possesses valuable qualities. In the past, for various reasons, we have not been successful in including individuals from these groups. Thankfully, this is now changing.”
Welch, who is 40 years old, has been a referee since 2010 and has achieved several significant accomplishments. She has led matches in both the Women’s Super League and Women’s Champions League, and was selected to officiate at the 2020 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. In the realm of men’s soccer, she made history by becoming the first woman to referee in the Championship in 2021 and the first to officiate in the FA Cup in 2022. Despite her success, Welch has unfortunately also been the target of abuse, resulting in the arrest of two teenagers for “misogynistic chanting” during a Championship game between Birmingham and Sheffield Wednesday last month.
In 2020, Allison became a member of the national list of referees and was later promoted to the Championship for this current season. When asked about his appointment, he stated to the Guardian, “I believe I have completed my training and learning. I have achieved my position and have not let any obstacles stand in the way of my success.”
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Webb stated that Welch and Allison had gained advantages from their participation in the development team. However, with additional resources now available, PGMOL’s goal is to expand its reach as much as possible. “We are not just considering officials within that group, we are also considering those who are not part of it,” he explained. “Individuals develop at varying rates… our aim is to provide opportunities to all those who are excelling, in turn encouraging more individuals to become referees from the very beginning.”
Source: theguardian.com
