The English Football League (EFL) has appointed it's very first female referee. Last year the chairman of the Referees Association, Paul Field, said that female officials suffered because of a previous lack of investment in the womens game and that it would be a decade before a woman was refereeing a Premier League match. . 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. In the last 10 years Ive put a lot of hard work and commitment in and Ive reaped the rewards from that by getting promoted. Liverpool's Klopp risks ban over feud with match referee VideoWatch Newsround - signed and subtitled, Wildflowers fit for a king: Special seeds for schools to mark coronation, County Antrim pupils record special coronation hymn. Massey-Ellis was withdrawn by the PGMOB from her next appointment, a League 2 game between Crewe Alexandra and Bradford City on 25 January, as they believed the added attention Massey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. Welch had been working at the NHSBSA, which provides management services for the NHS surrounding repayment of prescription costs, but she "decided to take a career break" as her refereeing progress gathered pace. This is the highest I have refereed at, at the moment, and I'm more than happy so far. Jawahir Roble: The First Muslim Female Referee In The UK For reference, the Copa Libertadores is the highest level of competition in South American club football. Video, County Antrim pupils record special coronation hymn. "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. Ten years ago, a sexism row erupted over Sian Massey-Ellis officiating as an assistant referee in the Premier League, the dinosaur view that women cannot grasp the offside rule seeping into punditry. Women's Premier League (cricket) - Wikipedia She has spent 11 years working her way up the ranks to mark this new professional milestone - and because she is making history, this is also a new step for women to tick off. To become a FIFA referee, applicants must pass a fitness test and complete a refereeing course. }); We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. CNN . 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. That's not a bad thing, it's just, especially in the North East of England, there were very few. The age limit for FIFA referees is 45 years old. We know each other very well and we knew what we were capable of, so it was just going into the game with that mindset and not letting anything else drag us down.". Women's Champions League: Arsenal recover to earn draw in first leg "Regardless of where I am, I will always end up at a sporting event with a camera. Stephanie Frappart: When might a woman referee a Premier League game But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Meet Rebecca Welch, the English Football League's first female referee "I got the news on Saturday and haven't come back down to earth yet. It was only in September 2020 that a female officiated as an assistant referee for the first time in a Copa Libertadores game; this happened twice on the same day in two different games because the scheduled (male) referees tested positive for Covid and had to be replaced at the last minute. 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. Rebecca Welch becomes first female referee to be appointed to EFL game [9] In the 200910 men's season Massey was fourth official in five matches and assistant referee in 11 matches. Thus, the Copa Libertadores game I watched last week was the first time in history that there were six female referees working a top-level international mens soccer game. Rebecca Welch made history on Monday as she became the first appointed female referee to take charge of an English Football League (EFL) game. Frappart, 36, will take hold of the Juventus-Dynamo Kiev match in Turin. When we were in school, we had to join the boys' team just to play football. Women have been actively participating, albeit mostly from the sidelines, in mens football for almost a century. In addition, the two video match officials were also women, making the entire officiating crew 100% female. It the end it was the strike from Graham Hansen in the first leg that is the . Women were less common running the sidelines of mens football in England in the early 20th century. To be clear, there is work still to be done to eradicate sexism in football. Thirty years on from a plane crash devastated Zambian football, BBC Sport Africa hears how a Danish coach helped a nation recover from tragedy. Sian Massey-Ellis is a trailblazing female football referee who has broken down barriers in what is traditionally seen as a male-dominated industry. She began her journey in the sport in 2009 as an assistant referee in the Serie C, quickly becoming one of the most respected referees in the Italian game. "I actually have two jobs. I've been very lucky that I turn up and they don't see me as a female referee, they just say, 'Rebecca's here and she's the ref today' so that's quite nice. Trailblazer Rebecca Welch targeting Premier League referee role and Massey-Ellis has also refereed at the Womens World Cup and the Olympic Games. We've had to analyse Stourbridge Women a lot and hold respect for the opponents. However, at the time, they could not be appointed to games because there were no women on the 1991 FIFA List of Referees. Ref 2 Derek Eaton 4th Official Andy Madley. The 37-year-old, who has refereed men's matches in the National League and top women's games like the FA Cup final back in 2017, was chosen following an ongoing review of her performances during the current season. Women's Champions League: Arsenal recover to earn draw in first leg 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. She added: "Without any struggles, no one is going to get anywhere, it . She has also been appointed to matches in the Football League Trophy, UEFA Women's Champions League,[4] FIFA Women's World Cup qualification rounds, the FIFA Women's World Cup and the UEFA Europa League. Amy Fearn came on as an injury substitute to referee an EFL game in 2010, but only Welch has been appointed to take charge of a full match. Leeds won the match 31, winning the cup for the first time since its inaugural 199192 season.[11]. I never want to be appointed based on anything else. ", Sue Smith (football presenter & former Lioness). 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. 2023 BBC. 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 . Female referees continue to deal with sexist comments and actions on the field, by announcers, and by the public. The Football Association stated that The number of female referees in English football has increased by 72% since 2016.. "The best advice we can give is telling others to give the game a go. the first woman to officiate a Bundesliga game in 2017. "We need more people involved, more fans and more broadcast events. She has since gone on to officiate in the Copa do Brasil, the Campeonato Paulista and the Campeonato Brasileiro. "I don't want women to be promoted to the middle of the Premier League just so we can tick a box. To become a FIFA referee, applicants must . A decade on, Massey-Ellis continues her work as a consistent and leading official at the top level of the game, and Welch says her move into the EFL is the legacy of that. [12], In August 2011, Massey-Ellis was appointed to the Select Group of match officials. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Papers: Big Sam or Bowyer to replace Gracia at Leeds? The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting reportedly cut away from the game more than 100 times in order to avoid showing her legs, showing outdoor footage of London instead. region: "na1", Sign up for our free newsletter "The Groundhopper", It was only in September 2020 that a female officiated as an assistant referee for the first time in a Copa Libertadores game; this happened twice on the same day in two different games because the scheduled (male) referees tested positive for Covid and had to be replaced at the last minute. Our advice is to work hard and never give up.". Spicemas Launch 28th April, 2023 - Facebook The highest-ranking female referee in English football will take charge of the League Two clash between Harrogate Town and Port Vale on Monday. She's excited, but I don't think she knows why! 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. Germanys Bundesliga and Frances Ligue 1 have employed women referees, and Stphanie Frappart refereed a mens Champions League match last December. Qatar World Cup to feature three female referees with Premier League's , three women became the first to control a match at a senior Confederation of African Football (CAF) mens tournament. 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. I've got no doubt, in the next 10 to 15 years, we will see a female referee in the Premier League," she said. Some of us were lucky and had a mixed team to play with. formId: "1e092068-e6c8-4d90-9b3f-cc61c5958770" Ref 1 Scott Ledger Asst. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. I never want to be appointed based on anything else. Her first appointment as an assistant referee was on 29 August 2009, a 22 draw between Hereford United and Port Vale. Its so weird seeing the Euros trophy in real life because we have only seen it on the telly. Wendy was born on 16 October 1962 in Dorset, England. "I'm still trying to let it sink in," Welch told Sky Sports News. However, Welch will be the first female referee to have been officially appointed for a game. Since then, Welch, from Washington in Tyne and Wear, has gone beyond the challenge. The story is similar when you look at historic refereeing milestones around the globe over the past few years. Last updated on 1 December 20221 December 2022.From the section Football. She was the first female referee to take charge of a Premier League match in 2017 and has also officiated in the Champions League, making her the first female referee to do so. 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. Copyrights Fast Sportsly. Stephanie Frappart became the first woman to referee a men's World Cup game as she oversaw Germany's 4-2 win over Costa Rica on Thursday. "When I first started to go to clubs, people used to look twice because they just weren't used to seeing a female being a referee. 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. "We've got to make sure that women see this as an environment that is welcoming to them. Today, there are five full-time women referees in the NBA -- the most in the . 'Anyone can referee' says UK's first Muslim female ref. The Premier League could still be a decade away from assigning its first female referee, according to Referees' Association chairman Paul Field. 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 . Those 156 associations have a total of 2,823 referees of which 822 (29.12%) are women who are accredited as follows: Fortuna Dusseldorfs Kerem Demirbay being sent off by female referee Bibiana Steinhaus in 2015. Manchester City Women; Manchester United Women; Reading Women; Tottenham Hotspur Women; West Ham United Women; Scottish Championship. English Football League appoints its first female referee ", David Jenkins (Portsmouth Women Development super fan), "The girls played well and gave it their best, which is all that matters at the end of the day. "There aren't really too many lows with my position as a referee, apart from some boos here and there but that's inevitable really. But in blowing the whistle to mark kick-off between League Two's Harrogate Town and Port Vale, she will be setting a new and important precedent in English football, becoming the first woman appointed as a referee in the EFL. She is football's reluctant trailblazer, an NHS administrator who took up refereeing just to prove a point to a friend during her amateur playing days. Rebecca Welch, who is currently the highest-ranking female referee in English football, will oversee Harrogate Town's game against Port Vale on Monday 5 April. In comparison, referees in the . I don't really try to focus too much on the future, I always take one game at a time. She is a member of the Hungarian Football Federation and has officiated several matches in the UEFA Champions League, putting her on the global stage. I've got a big support network, and nobody understands you better than another referee. 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. FIFA remains committed to increasing the number of female referees and has established a Referee Womens Development. The 37-year-old, who . I've got faith in the system, and I've been rewarded.". Liverpool coach Jrgen Klopp risks getting a touchline ban over a feud with a referee who has been strongly defended by the Premier League match officials group. Welsh will be the first female referee to have been officially appointed to oversee an EFL game, 'Anyone can referee' says UK's first Muslim female ref. It is really beautiful. Aurelie Sara Bollier is a female football referee making waves in male-dominated sport. Stphanie Frappart to make history as the first woman to referee - CNN She eventually returned to Argentina and pursued her dream of becoming a professional referee. "But when you reflect on it [and] think youre the first woman ever to do this, Im extremely proud. "My dad is probably my biggest fan, so he's over the moon. It used to spark conversations about how I got into it, but all being very positive. Referees must be physically fit and have the necessary knowledge and experience to officiate at the highest level. The first female referee in FIFA was Jacqui Melksham, who was approved in 2005. Football is a sport that has historically been dominated by male referees, but that is changing. "I do think its important to show that women who are in the top one per cent of their category can proceed to the next level so it definitely makes others down the period look up and know that they can achieve the same," she added. Of course, theres also plenty of coverage of other South American domestic leagues and international games. 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. Melksham was born in Australia and began her career as a referee in the state of Victoria in 2001. After spending several years officiating matches in the lower leagues, Fernanda was finally given the opportunity to become a top-flight referee in 2020. Nesbitt also assisted in the MLS Cup final 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. The NBA's five full-time women referees are changing the game - ESPN Her tenacity and drive have seen her become the first female referee to officiate at a mens professional match in the UK and the first woman to referee a mens professional cup final in England. The Women's Premier League (WPL) is a women's Twenty20 cricket franchise league in India. She has already taken charge of the 2017 Women's FA Cup final and mens matches in the National League, and she is now in contention for Fifa selection for the Womens World Cup in 2023. She is not strictly the first woman to officiate in the EFL on Monday as Amy Fearn refereed a Championship match for 15 minutes in 2010 as an injury replacement, but never before has a woman received an official appointment. English referee Sian Massey-Ellis believes it is only a matter of time before there is a female referee in the Premier League. ", Maddie, Poppy, Summer & Zoie (Stourbridge Women fans). Umpierrez was born in Buenos Aires and started playing football at the age of 8. 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. Bibiana Steinhaus began refereeing in the mens 2. Rebecca Welch: First female referee will encourage more women to I'm very fortunate to have been given this opportunity and I'm really excited about it. Leaving her home country, and all her friends, without a chance to say goodbye was understandably tough . Blowing the whistle to start Harrogate Towns game against Port Vale could be just the first of many milestones. Your email address will not be published. Im really excited and this is what Ive been working towards, she said. Who is Kateryna Monzul? History-making female referee set to - Goal "I've seen both sides of the game from when I first started playing for a local boys team, to having to pay to play at Tranmere Rovers, where there were a lot of volunteers who helped run the club, to then playing professionally at Leeds United and Doncaster Belles, to also playing for England, where we had everything from personal sports scientists to doctors and cooks at St George's Park. [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. Sian Louise Massey-Ellis MBE (ne Massey; born 5 October 1985)[2][3] is an English football match official who officiates generally in the role of assistant referee in the Premier League and the Football League. 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. Matches were played in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, with five franchises taking part. In February 2021, Brazilian referee Edina Alves Batista became the first woman to officiate the Club World Cup. Marking firsts like this for women in football matters, especially in a space where they have not always been fully welcome. Everyone screamed and it was one of the best days of our lives! She said: "Sian's an absolute icon in refereeing and has paved the way for females, not just in England but all over Europe, to think about taking up the whistle. took the field at the 2021 Flow Concacaf Caribbean Club Championship in the Dominican Republic. Premier League could still be a decade away from its first female referee Janie Frampton was one of the first female referees in the men's professional game in England and went on to instruct referees for Fifa for a decade. Per the BBC, as of June 2020, there were 2,146 women refereeing across all levels of English football. She only began training after one of those referees, who happened to be her friend, told her: If you think you can do any better, why dont you have a go.". There are currently eleven different levels of referees that correspond to the ability, age and activity of the official. In spite of ample evidence documenting Edith Klingers achievements, FIFA recognized Drahan Arda of Turkey as the worlds first female football referee in 2018, perhaps because she was still alive to pursue the designation.