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. 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. Rebecca Welch has made history by becoming the first woman appointed to referee a game in the English Football League. This is also evidenced on the internet, where 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., In an interview for FIFA.com on International Womens Day, Kari Seitz, who is currently FIFAs Head of Refereeing, Women, summed up her outlook for the future: It starts with the people at the top taking women referee development seriously. Monday's League Two clash is no glitzy affair. We need to keep on educating people, about how it makes that person feel. [19], Massey-Ellis's early international career has included involvement in the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup by taking up the role of fourth official for England's 40 qualification stage win over Austria on 20 April 2006. FC Barcelona will add another stamp to their UEFA Women's Champions League finals passport. Lucy Oliver is a pioneering female football referee who is helping to reshape the sport. Smith's visit was on 2023 FA Women's National League Finals Day as Leeds United Women, Stourbridge Women, Newcastle United Development and Portsmouth FC Development battled it out for the WNL Plate and Reserve Plate finals. I don't really try to focus too much on the future, I always take one game at a time. 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. "It's happening university has finished and I am going all out," Roble, whose family moved to London from Somalia when she was just 10 to escape the country's civil war, told the Press Association. 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. Ref 2 Mark Scholes 4th Official Graham Scott. The age limit for FIFA referees is 45 years old. Welch has been selected after an ongoing review of her performances this season and her appointment has been approved by referee chiefs Mike Riley and Mike Jones. ", Paige Williams (Leeds United Women midfielder). the first woman to officiate a Bundesliga game in 2017. 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. On May 19, 2021, the first ever all-womens crew in a mens match in Concacaf history took the field at the 2021 Flow Concacaf Caribbean Club Championship in the Dominican Republic. 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. They tend to better understand the game and are often better at dealing with players and coaches. [26], On 3 December 2018, Massey-Ellis was appointed to be an assistant referee at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France. Frappart, 36, will take hold of the Juventus-Dynamo Kiev match in Turin. 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. That's not a bad thing, it's just, especially in the North East of England, there were very few. It . In 2014, Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling became the first woman hired as a full-time NBA official in nearly two decades. "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. By that stretch . County Championship: Gloucestershire collapse after big Sussex run haul. Why are there so many big bees around right now? BHA 6 - 0 WOL. During a game between Cardiff City and Middlesbrough in May 2011, Massey was knocked over by Cardiff player Kevin McNaughton, although the incident was said, officially by the FA, to be an accident. "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. When we were in school, we had to join the boys' team just to play football. It is well-deserved. "As a male in the women's game, there is so much opportunity to join a match and referee for them, especially with girls who were part of today's final, who worked their absolute socks off. "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. The first female referee in the Premier League was Sian Massey-Ellis, who made her debut in 2010. [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. To become a FIFA referee, applicants must . 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. Welch described her appointment for Monday's match as a "a shock", but Carol Shanahan, chair of Port Vale FC, told the Daily Telegraph it was overdue, and she was "absolutely delighted" that her club would be playing a part in helping make history for women in the game. Like all referees, Welch has to earn her stripes and move up the ladder accordingly. [27], On 24 October 2019, Massey-Ellis was appointed to her first Men's International fixture in a 00 draw between PSV Eindhoven and LASK in the UEFA Europa League. That's always something we're striving towards on a daily occurrence.". "The best advice we can give is telling others to give the game a go. She was the first woman to referee a mens professional football match in Europe and is currently the only female referee in the top division of any European country. Nothing will teach you that better than, As it is the true sport of the world, the history of soccer (football) is, Groundhopper Guides has a look at soccer in the Olympics: the history, the mens and, All rights reserved 2023 Groundhopper Soccer Guides | Terms of Service | Privacy. Zooming in on the . 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. Welch is the first female to be appointed to a match as an EFL referee. 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? Jonsson ended up working as a lineswoman in the Final. Barcelona eliminated Chelsea FC on aggregate, 2-1, after the two teams played to a 1-1 draw during the . Yes, the Premier League does have female referees. 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. The Women's Premier League (WPL) is a women's Twenty20 cricket franchise league in India. "I've received criticism for my refereeing, and that's part of football. 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 . Four fouls in 90 (well, 93 plus first-half stoppages) minutes doesn't sound like many but the upper limit for the average Premier League regular is lower than two a game. 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. 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. However, Welch will be the first female referee to have been officially appointed for a game. Leaving her home country, and all her friends, without a chance to say goodbye was understandably tough . It helped the game become stable after years of stagnancy. Wendy was born on 16 October 1962 in Dorset, England. "But when you reflect on it [and] think youre the first woman ever to do this, Im extremely proud. Claudia Romani is an Italian football referee who has recently made a name for herself in the world of professional football. I've got to keep on performing, achieving those marks, to get those rewards. . I've got faith in the system, and I've been rewarded.". 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. Video, 00:02:10, 'Anyone can referee' says UK's first Muslim female ref, Watch Newsround - signed and subtitled. ', Sprint beef, Ferrari respite & reignited title fight | What we learnt in Baku, PL hits and misses: Vintage Vardy making timely Leicester comeback, Welch, centre, warms up with Sian Massey-Ellis, right, ahead of the last Women's FA Cup final at Wembley, Premier League assistant referee Sian Massey-Ellis discusses equality, online hate, VAR, the Sergio Aguero incident and being a trailblazer for girls who want to make it in sport, Trailblazer Massey-Ellis: VAR, mistakes & social media. Katalin Kulcsar is a Hungarian football referee and a role model for aspiring female referees around the world. (Photo: Michael Regan/Getty). Full-time: Barcelona 1-1 (2-1 agg) Chelsea. "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 . . I'm very fortunate to have been given this opportunity and I'm really excited about it. [citation needed], Massey-Ellis was the subject of censorship by Iranian state TV broadcasters when she was an assistant referee for a 12 April 2021 Premier League game between Manchester United and Tottenham. "It would have been nice to have had a girls' team. According to Football Makes History, 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. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. She is the first female referee to be appointed to the Italian Serie A and is quickly becoming a fan favorite. Whether thats playing to officiating, start from the bottom at grass roots and work your way up to gain your skills. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. Romani started her career as an assistant referee in the Italian Serie B in 2018 and has since gone on to referee in the Italian Serie A and Coppa Italia. We can't wait for it to develop. They have the same level of knowledge, training and experience in the game, and are often more organized and efficient. 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. 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. Today, these games are at an amateur level, but it is run on more professional grounds, which is good to see. 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.". Required fields are marked *. There's a place for everybody. VideoCounty Antrim pupils record special coronation hymn. "It is nice having Stourbridge Women to look up to because we want to be like them and hopefully have careers as female footballers. They're really proud. There are now a number of female referees taking charge of games at the highest level. It is the highest standard for a female referee yet in the mens game and, it is hoped, a harbinger of much more progress. They're really proud," she said. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. FIFA remains committed to increasing the number of female referees and has established a Referee Womens Development. 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. She, along with. "I'm still trying to let it sink in," Welch told Sky Sports News. Per the BBC, as of June 2020, there were 2,146 women refereeing across all levels of English football. After deciding that she wanted to become a referee, Welch didn't think she would ever make it to the EFL. Play for free, entries by 3:00pm. Welch says she wants her officiating to go unnoticed in the EFL and has been fortunate not to have received abuse, including sexism, throughout her career. The Sao Paulo native has been a referee since 2011 and initially found it difficult to gain acceptance in the sport. She eventually returned to Argentina and pursued her dream of becoming a professional referee. She is the first female official to referee a mens professional match in her native Argentina and is the only female referee in the Primera Division, the top tier of the Argentine football pyramid. The highest-ranking female referee in English football will take charge of the League Two clash between Harrogate Town and Port Vale on Monday. Women were less common running the sidelines of mens football in England in the early 20th century. Check out the stellar selection of films on BBC iPlayer. Some of us were lucky and had a mixed team to play with. To have her around a dressing room, as one of my friends, is really important. As the world continues to tackle issues of gender equality in all aspects of life, ensuring that women have the same opportunities as men to officiate soccer at all levels is a necessary focus of the stakeholders in the game. My work ranges from travelling to take photos for grassroots football to professional games, sometimes even travelling internationally. [8], In May 2009, Massey-Ellis was appointed fourth official for the year's FA Women's Cup final at Derby County's Pride Park Stadium, a game which saw two injury-time goals and Arsenal defeat Sunderland 21. I'm very fortunate to have been given this opportunity and I'm really excited about it. With Welch taking charge of Harrogate v Port Vale on Easter Monday, Molly McElwee writes on why this appointment matters for the game. 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. Follow live updates as Arsenal travel to Wolfsburg in the first leg of their Women's Champions League semi-final. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. After more than a decade in the game and as the highest-ranked female referee . Welch to take charge of Harrogate v Port Vale on Monday, This opportunity to work in the EFL is amazing for me. There are a few names you will hear frequently when discussing history-making women working the mens game in Europe. English football referees officiate matches in English football. ", April Hill, Macey Nikiah-Walters & Esme Parsons (Portsmouth Women Development players). It marked the first time that an all-female team officiated a continental mens match in Asia. [14], After her second Premier League game, as an assistant in Liverpool's 30 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers on 22 January 2011, a sexism controversy erupted over remarks made about Massey-Ellis by staff of the Premier League broadcaster Sky Sports, which led to commentator Andy Gray and presenter Richard Keys being sacked. Follow live updates as Arsenal travel to Wolfsburg in the first leg of their Women's Champions League semi-final. Steinhaus-Webb, who became the first woman to referee. 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. It is owned and operated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). became the first woman to referee a men's World Cup game. (Photo: Phil Stephens Photography/FIFA Museum). FIFA, the international governing body of football, has taken great strides in recent years to promote gender equality in the sport. ", Maddie, Poppy, Summer & Zoie (Stourbridge Women fans). The Football Association points to an explosion in the number of women referees since the formation of the Womens Super League, with numbers up 76% between 2016 and 2020 and 2,146 officiating last year at all levels of the game. Im really excited and this is what Ive been working towards, she said. "Internationally, in the women's game, we're working really hard towards major competitions - the European Championships next year and World Cup in 2023. 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. Welcome to the dangerous world of the yakuza: Watch the slick, stylish drama Tokyo Vice on BBC iPlayer now. "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. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. External Link, Arsenal to play Manchester United in New York 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. "But I love sports, and my job is not so much a chore when I'm being paid to watch events and capture shots. 2023 BBC. 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. Yamashita last September became the first woman to officiate a first division J-League game, and was one of three women named on the list of 36 referees for the men's World Cup. "We need more people involved, more fans and more broadcast events. 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. That didn't even register on my radar. Do not miss your chance to land the 250,000 in Friday's Super 6 round. I've got no doubt, in the next 10 to 15 years, we will see a female referee in the Premier League," she said. 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. In addition, the two video match officials were also women, making the entire officiating crew 100% female. 'Anyone can referee' says UK's first Muslim female ref. Four officials have been promoted to the Premier League for the 2022-23 season, with Natalie Aspinall to become the second female assistant referee. entertainment, news presenter | 4.8K views, 28 likes, 13 loves, 80 comments, 2 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from GBN Grenada Broadcasting Network: GBN. "My journey through promotion has been a whirlwind over the past 10 years.". "We love women's football a lot. 29 April 2023 Counties 16. 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. The latest rumours and stories from around the world of football. Francia Gonzalez worked as the Fourth Referee and Dianne Ferreira-James of Guyana as Assessor.
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