There's a place for everybody. That's not a bad thing, it's just, especially in the North East of England, there were very few. What is the age limit for FIFA referees? "I got into refereeing through a good friend of mine who was a referee but I never really understood why anyone would want to take that route," she said. BRE 2 - 1 NFO. On the international level, Steinhaus was in charge of the UEFA Womens Champions League final in 2017 as well as the Womens World Cup final in 2011 and the gold medal match for the Womens Olympics in 2012 at Wembley Stadium. The first female referee in the Premier League was Sian Massey-Ellis, who made her debut in 2010. That didn't even register on my radar. Everything you need to know to make sure you never miss a moment. ", Hannah Sharp, Rebecca Halford, Charlotte Phillips (match officials). As CONMEBOL said about the historic appointment of an all-female officiating crew for the Copa Libertadores match, It is further proof of the organizations commitment to the development and professionalization of more women on and off the field, promoting gender equality and providing more decision-making spaces., As Football Makes History states, It is a step towards equality, but there is still a long way to go before female referees no longer make history in mens football. A footballing whirlwind in the eye of a tabloid storm Look at the actions taken as the Third Reich faces collapse in the final weeks of World War II. Petra Tabarelli, who claims to be the worlds leading expert on the evolution of the Laws of the Game and the history of women referees in mens football has thoroughly researched the subject and created a comprehensive database of female referees which she updates regularly. That's always something we're striving towards on a daily occurrence.". Several competitions include UEFA Champions League, Premier League, Bundesliga, and Ligue 1 have already had a female referee. The Frenchwoman is the first female referee to officiate a Ligue 1 game. My work ranges from travelling to take photos for grassroots football to professional games, sometimes even travelling internationally. My mum doesn't know a lot about football. Here is a look at the top 10 female football referees from around the world. Nathan McAndrew's return of 5-53 is so far his best figures in England. Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp could face disciplinary action after accusing the referee in Sunday's dramatic 4-3 win over Tottenham of bearing a grudge against his team. Football refereeing in England. Steinhaus-Webb believes the English game has several prospects with the potential to step up to a bigger stage. So this is an absolutely a fantastic moment.". became the first woman to officiate the Club World Cup. first ever all-womens crew in a mens match in Concacaf history. Then the women have to do the work. To be given this opportunity to work in the EFL is amazing for me.. Female football referee are becoming increasingly common in the sport, and they are proving to be just as capable as their male counterparts. Video, 00:02:10, 'Anyone can referee' says UK's first Muslim female ref, Watch Newsround - signed and subtitled. Akhona Makalima is the first certified female soccer referee in South Africa, where she officiates for FIFA, the Premier Soccer League, the Sasol Women's League and the South African Football . You can tell by all the fans that have arrived here today from all over the country that it is in a really good place, particularly for a fourth-tier game. The FA banned women from playing on Football League grounds in 1921; female referees were not regarded any better. In 2019, Yoshimi Yamashita, alongside Makoto Bozono and Naomi Teshirogi, took charge of a group match in the AFC Cup. "I am absolutely certain we will see a female referee in the Premier League at some point, short down the road," she told BBC Sport. Hopefully, in a few years time, people will know who the Leeds players are. External Link, Benitez: Man City know how to win different ways, 'Premier League Supports' to highlight help wider football receives, Premier League Supports: How we helped Peacehaven, Leicester out of bottom three after draw with Everton, Premier League weekend review: What we learned, Record breaker Haaland: Amazing stats of Man city's phenomenon, Premier League clubs' pre-season summer 2023 friendlies, Alvarez wonder strike puts Man City back on top, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Standard. She quickly developed a passion for the sport and was selected to become a referee at the age of 21. Welch has also expressed her desire to see a female referee in the Premier League, something which she believes could happen in the near future. Massey-Ellis became a professional referee in 2010 and has gone on to officiate matches in the Premier League, Champions League, and Womens World Cup. All rights reserved. "It's not something I thought that, when I decided to be a referee 11 years ago, I would be in the Football League doing a game. Jonsson, who started refereeing in 1983, recalls that it was the first competitive international tournament in which women officiated. I've got faith in the system, and I've been rewarded.". Thankfully, theres decent coverage of European football as well, so I have been able to watch plenty of Premier League, Champions League, Europa League, and other European league matches along with the occasional MLS games, World Cup qualifiers, etc. To become a FIFA referee, applicants must pass a fitness test and complete a refereeing course. "Initially I wasnt really aware of being appointed as the first female referee," Welch said on Tuesday. The 27-year-old from Birmingham has been refereeing since she was 13 and is now the first woman to take charge of a professional game in the English Football League. It marked the first time that an all-female team officiated a continental mens match in Asia. Rebecca Welch has become the first female referee to be appointed to a game in the English Football League, it has been announced. Your email address will not be published. "We've done much better, of course we have, but we still have a big gap of women coming through, and that's for lots of different reasons," she added. Sian Massey-Ellis, currently the highest ranked female official in the UK, started running the line in the Football League in 2009 and has been an assistant referee for Premier League games since 2010. region: "na1", "It would have been nice to have had a girls' team. Petra Tabarelli found the first occurrence of three females officiating in a top-level mens soccer match anywhere in the world at a Brazilian Serie A game in June 2003. became the first female official to work the final of an MLS competition when she assisted in the MLS is Back Tournament Final matchup between the Portland Timbers and Orlando City SC. ", Sue Smith (football presenter & former Lioness). Massey-Ellis turned professional in March 2010, joining the Professional Game Match Officials Board (PGMOB), who provide the officials for men's Premier League matches, the highest level of professional football in England. They make us love watching football the most, but now we all play with our mates for fun. Because I like to use raw data to make comparisons, I downloaded the 2021 FIFA List of International Match Officials and did some number crunching. Wendy Toms was the first female assistant referee in the Premier League in 1997, but only two women have followed since, with Natalie Aspinall joining Sian Massey-Ellis on the top flight's list of . Zooming in on the . of female referees which she updates regularly. [7][15][16][17] The PGMOB also withdrew her for a second time, from a Conference North game between Corby Town and Eastwood Town on 29 January, with Corby stating there had been huge demand for television access when it was announced Massey was to referee the game. Video, County Antrim pupils record special coronation hymn. Klopp was shown a yellow card by referee Paul Tierney after the German manager ran over to the fourth official to celebrate Liverpoo'ls late winning goal. The Premier League could still be a decade away from assigning its first female referee, according to Referees' Association chairman Paul Field. After moving to the United States for college, she took up refereeing as a hobby and soon realized that she had a true passion for it. Blowing the whistle to start Harrogate Towns game against Port Vale could be just the first of many milestones. "Unfortunately, at my age I can't play myself, so it is nice to watch the others get out there and be active - especially the women. Referee Peter Bankes Asst. In comparison, referees in the . I'm very fortunate to have been given this opportunity and I'm really excited about it. Wade Smith is a new addition to the Premier League for the 2020/21 season. So the sight of four female refs on the pitch was nothing short of astonishing. "I'm still trying to let it sink in," Welch told Sky Sports News. "People are starting to know who the England women are. "The professional behaviour we can see now in the whole environment, it is absolutely overwhelming.". The 37-year-old from County Durham has become the first woman selected to referee a mens match in the English Football League. [29][failed verification], Last edited on 12 February 2023, at 21:39, FIFA Women's World Cup qualification rounds, Member of the Order of the British Empire, "England Sian Massey Profile with news, career statistics and history Soccerway", "Education & Technical - Referees by Association", "Sian Massey-Ellis Stars As Female Assistant Referee in Wolves vs Liverpool Match", "National Group Assistant Profile Sian Massey-Ellis", "Female assistant referee Sian Massey 'epitomises quality' FA are looking for despite Richard Keys and Andy Gray", "Kevin McNaughton's barge on Sian Massey declared accidental", "Richard Keys resigns from Sky after sexist remarks", "Sky reporter Andy Burton dropped in wake of Sian Massey comments", "Andy Gray sacked by Sky for offensive behaviour", "Sian Massey withdrawn from refereeing Blue Square match", "Iranian TV station censors footage of female football referee's legs", "UEFA.com Women's EURO 2009 Slovenia-Ukraine", "Women's World Cup 2011 Norway-Ukraine", "Women's World Cup 2011 Czech Republic-Sweden", "Women's World Cup 2011 Belgium-Azerbaijan", "Women's EURO referees - the tournament's 17th team", "Admkov to referee Women's Champions League final", "FIFA Women's World Cup 2019 - News - Match officials appointed for FIFA Women's World Cup France 2019 - FIFA.com", "Sian Massey-Ellis becomes first English female to officiate in a men's European tie", "Footballers who have backed out of a transfer for another late in the day", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sian_Massey-Ellis&oldid=1139005487, This page was last edited on 12 February 2023, at 21:39. ", Bridie Hannon and Kathryn Smith (Leeds United Women players). "I think it's hugely significant," she told BBC Sport. "In terms of enjoyment, it comes from being able to be on the pitch and watch the game up close, as well as being able to provide the game for the fans and everyone else watching. Senior figures in the game are privately tipping her to become the Premier League's first woman referee. However, Welch will be the first female referee to have been officially appointed for a game. Ref 1 Edward Smart Asst. Here are the stories of those who participated on the day. Because that means that it is normal., Sometimes you have to lose to win, right? She is the only female FIFA referee in Switzerland and is paving the way for other women in the sport. ", Rebecca Welch has refereed a Women's FA Cup Final, Welch in action in the Women's Super League, Pickford's homework keeps Everton's Great Escape dreams alive, Arsenal Women's Champions League final dreams end after extra-time heartbreak, Frank Lampard risking reputational damage in Chelsea's dire season, Frank Lampard: I don't blame Mauricio Pochettino for waiting on Chelsea job, Leeds in crisis as Javi Gracia faces the sack, Newcastle receive double boost in hunt for Champions League. It used to spark conversations about how I got into it, but all being very positive. "My dad is probably my biggest fan, so he's over the moon. "To be honest, I started my day by making sure my team were prepared for this big day. "We'll get Monday out of the way. Referee Craig Pawson Asst. The competitiveness is just as strong, though, compared to other leagues because everyone wants to win. (Photo: Phil Stephens Photography/FIFA Museum). In 2010, referee Amy Fearn became the first woman to take charge of an EFL game after Tony Bates sustained an injury during Coventry's match against Nottingham Forest. became the first woman to referee a men's World Cup game. So it was a groundbreaking achievement when, i. became the first female to officiate a professional soccer game in the U.S. was a lineswoman at a North American Soccer League, match between the Portland Timbers and Calgary Boomers at Civic Stadium (now Providence, (Sweden) and five other female assistant referees were invited to China for the inaugural FIFA Womens World Cup. She became the first female referee in the top-flight of men's football in Ukraine when she started working in the Premier League in 2016. We also enjoy being role models to young people and to ourselves when we are together. They have the same level of knowledge, training and experience in the game, and are often more organized and efficient. Its so weird seeing the Euros trophy in real life because we have only seen it on the telly. ", Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards discuss the art of punditry and rank the best analysts, Three single Kiwi women are in search of the man of their dreams in FBoy Island NZ. Stephanie Frappart made history on Wednesday by . Massey-Ellis has also refereed at the Womens World Cup and the Olympic Games. , The first female referee in a European first division in mens football was Nicole Petignat of Switzerland (1999) and the first female assistant referee was Gertrude Gebhard of Germany (1995). The first female assistant referee at the international level was Nelly Viennot (France) who worked the UEFA European Championship Qualifiers in 1996. in December 2020, making her the first woman to referee a championship match in professional mens sports in North America, almost forty years after Betty Ellis first ran the line in the NASL. Francia Gonzalez worked as the Fourth Referee and Dianne Ferreira-James of Guyana as Assessor. Meanwhile, Yamashita became the first women to referee matches in the J-League and Asian Champions League, on top of officiating at the 2019 Women's World Cup and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Compared to men's football, I find women's football at this level much calmer and it is easy to follow. Matches were played in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, with five franchises taking part. Welch believes it is only the beginning: "If it's not me, I've got no doubt, in the next 10 to 15 years, we will see a female referee in the Premier League, [but first] we'll get Monday out of the way. FIFA remains committed to increasing the number of female referees and has established a Referee Womens Development. Your email address will not be published. Welcome to the dangerous world of the yakuza: Watch the slick, stylish drama Tokyo Vice on BBC iPlayer now. The first female referee in FIFA was Jacqui Melksham, who was approved in 2005. 'I'm going to ref at the World Cup' says UK's first Muslim referee. Bundesliga in 2007 and established her name as the first female referee in German mens professional football. ", Maddie, Poppy, Summer & Zoie (Stourbridge Women fans). The highest-ranking female referee in English football will take charge of the League Two clash between Harrogate Town and Port Vale on Monday. Frappart will continue to make history in the coming weeks as she has been selected to work as a support match official at the Euros. "We've got to try and cut away some of the non-conscious bias that is still out there. (modern). greatest female football referees in the world i. s Wendy Toms who is the first female ever who officiated at the Premier League and football league. A few years later, Canadian Sonia Denoncourt became the first woman to be designated as an official FIFA-accredited referee. (Argentina) and Neuza Back (Brazil), were the first women to be appointed to work a senior FIFA mens tournament. The Women's Premier League (WPL) is a women's Twenty20 cricket franchise league in India. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. [1] [2] The first season was played in March 2023 and saw Mumbai Indians win the first title. Hamilton Academical; Partick Thistle; Scottish League One . Natalie Aspinall joining Sian Massey-Ellis on the top flight's list of assistant referees for this season. As the team captains greeted each other and the referees for the coin toss, I noticed something out of the ordinary: All of the referees were women! I'm very fortunate to have been given this opportunity and I'm really excited about it. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Thus women didnt reach the top levels of officiating the mens game until the 90s. I've got to keep on performing, achieving those marks, to get those rewards. Thirty years on from a plane crash devastated Zambian football, BBC Sport Africa hears how a Danish coach helped a nation recover from tragedy. When Rebecca Welch blows her whistle at Harrogate Towns home fixture with Port Vale next Monday, a significant milestone in English football will finally have been reached. Ref 2 Mark Scholes 4th Official Graham Scott. Female referees can promote women's right in Qatar- Frappart, Wendy Toms was the first female assistant referee in the Premier League in 1997, but only two women have followed since, with. In addition, the two video match officials were also women, making the entire officiating crew 100% female. Francia Gonzalez worked as the Fourth Referee and Dianne Ferreira-James of Guyana as Assessor. Steinhaus-Webb, who became the first woman to referee. Diogo Jota's stoppage-time strike sealed victory at Anfield, just 99 seconds after Spurs thought Richarlison's first Premier League goal for the club had rescued a . The Premier League could still be a decade away from assigning its first female referee, according to Referees' Association chairman Paul Field. Subsequently, all match officials for the womens tournament at the 2000 Summer Olympics (the second time there was a womens Olympic football competition) were also female. Steinhaus-Webb, who became the first woman to referee a German top-flight men's game in September 2017, now oversees the development of female officials for the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) in England. ", Owen: Relegation battle is going down to the wire, Leicester and Everton forced to share a point Rebecca Welch becomes first female referee to be appointed to EFL game ahead of Harrogate Town vs Port Vale, Rebecca Welch has told Sky Sports News of her pride and excitement as she is set to become the first female appointed to referee a game in the English Football League. "The best advice we can give is telling others to give the game a go. She, along with Mariana de Almeida (Argentina) and Neuza Back (Brazil), were the first women to be appointed to work a senior FIFA mens tournament. Portsmouth Reserves is one of my favourite teams to watch and I try to come down as much as possible to support them, "I even do my best by wearing their merch. "My journey through promotion has been a whirlwind over the past 10 years.". They refereed a group-stage game in the African Nations Championship (CHAN), which is the second most senior national team competition in the continent after the Africa Cup of Nations. "I've grown so much as a person, being around the professional football environment, and learning from things I do wrong, something I probably didn't do as much of before I was a referee. It is really beautiful. FC Barcelona will add another stamp to their UEFA Women's Champions League finals passport. The 35-year-old is blazing a trail for other women in the sport and is determined to make a name for herself in the competitive and male-dominated world of football. Earlier this year, Rebecca Welch became the first appointed female referee to take charge of an English Football League game when she oversaw Port Vale's 2-0 win against Harrogate Town . A lack of role models is thought to be part of the problem. They're really proud. "If it's not me, I've got no doubt, in the next 10 to 15 years, we will see a female referee in the Premier League," she said. It looks so cool and different compared to the other trophies. In 2010, Amy Fearn was the first woman to take charge of a Football League match when the original referee was injured during the game and she took over for the last 20 minutes of play. Four officials have been promoted to the Premier League for the 2022-23 season, with Natalie Aspinall to become the second female assistant referee. Rebecca Welch, who became a referee in 2010, recently made history as the first female appointed to take charge of an EFL match in April 2021. External Link, Arsenal to play Manchester United in New York Referees must be physically fit and have the necessary knowledge and experience to officiate at the highest level. However, despite never envisaging becoming a referee, she said she is "extremely proud and my familys extremely proud as well" to be making history. Massey-Ellis was withdrawn by the PGMOB from her next appointment, a League 2 game between Crewe Alexandra and Bradford City on 25 January, as they believed the added attention Massey might receive could detract from the match itself. When we were in school, we had to join the boys' team just to play football. A referee on Teesside by the age of 14, Harrington officiated his first Premier League game in December 2021. Marking firsts like this for women in football matters, especially in a space where they have not always been fully welcome. took the field at the 2021 Flow Concacaf Caribbean Club Championship in the Dominican Republic. Thus, the Copa Libertadores game I watched last week was the first time in history that there were, Because I like to use raw data to make comparisons, I downloaded the, my incognito searches for female soccer referees in English and Spanish returned more than half of the first page results with titles that include the words most beautiful/sexy/hottest., said about the historic appointment of an all-female officiating crew for the Copa Libertadores match, It is further proof of the organizations commitment to the development and professionalization of more women on and off the field, promoting gender equality and providing more decision-making spaces., Brighton & Hove Albion Tickets & Hospitality, Queens Park Rangers Tickets & Hospitality, England National Team Tickets & Hospitality, Scottish Premiership Tickets & Hospitality, UEFA Champions League Tickets & Hospitality, UEFA Europa Conference League Tickets & Hospitality, Paris Saint-Germain Tickets & Hospitality, 2021 FIFA List of International Match Officials, Netflix Series "Losers" Reveals an Amazing Story From English Soccer History, Interested in Soccer History? , who claims to be the worlds leading expert on the evolution of the Laws of the Game and the history of women referees in mens football has thoroughly researched the subject and created a comprehensive. According to Tabarelli, Edith Klinger from Austria, who was active from 1935 1938, was the first female referee to officiate both mens and womens matches. She was also an assistant referee for the qualification stage of UEFA Women's Euro 2009. In 2010, Amy Fearn became the first woman to referee an EFL game as a second-half replacement for injured referee Tony Bates in Coventry's game against Nottingham Forest in the Championship. The hostile world of refereeing was never an ambition for the 37-year-old, but Welch has out-performed male counterparts while rising through the ranks of the grass-roots and women's game. Why are there so many big bees around right now? Referees are then given an extra 1,150 for matches they are put in charge of, which means that a Premier League referee can earn up to 70,000 per year. Sian Louise Massey-Ellis MBE (ne Massey; born 5 October 1985) is an English football match official who officiates generally in the role of assistant referee in the Premier League and the Football League.She has also been appointed to matches in the Football League Trophy, UEFA Women's Champions League, FIFA Women's World Cup qualification rounds, the FIFA Women's World Cup and the UEFA . He covers all sports, and events, he has been working with sports for 5 years, he loves to watch sports. Play for free, entries by 3:00pm. Stphanie Frappart was the first woman to referee in Frances Ligue 2 in 2014, and made history again by officiating her first game in Ligue 1, in 2019. Analysis and opinion from our chief football writer. External Link, Be wary of future Brighton rotation in FPL, FPL player price changes - rises, falls and top transfers for Gameweek 35, Gameweek 34 FPL stats: Haaland rewards as Triple Captain, Double Gameweek 34 FPL bonus points: Pickford hauls, Chelsea to play Borussia Dortmund in Chicago There are currently eleven different levels of referees that correspond to the ability, age and activity of the official. "I'm aware that not everybody is as fortunate as me and I'm aware it does happy. Rebecca Welch, who became a referee in 2010, recently made history as the first female appointed to take charge of an EFL match in April 2021. Klopp then accused Tierney of saying something that was "not OK" and . The Premier League supports the FA Women's National League (WNL), the third and fourth tiers of women's football, with 3m of investment and a new three-year strategy "Empowering For Success", which was launched this season. When I'm not at football matches, I also do media at a lawn-mowing company. Im really excited and this is what Ive been working towards, she said. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Katalin Kulcsar is a Hungarian football referee and a role model for aspiring female referees around the world. In the men's game, my next promotion would be the Football League. How to get into football - the most popular sport in the world, with clubs and facilities throughout the UK. Welch says it was only a couple of years ago that she was confident enough in her progress up the tiers of the FAs referee pathway to take a break from her job as an NHS administrator and concentrate full-time on the game. She began her refereeing career in the late 1980s and in 1991 she became the fourth referee.
