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. External Link, Isak and Wilson can be worth the double-up in FPL, Benitez: Man City have the focus to win title, Haaland equals record for most Premier League goals in a season, Haaland hits 50th goal of the season "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. She was the first woman to officiate a Bundesliga game in 2017. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Patterson has been a referee for 14 years and has officiated in the FA Womens Super League, the FA Womens Championship, the FA Womens National League and the UEFA Womens Champions League. "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. 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. (Argentina) and Neuza Back (Brazil), were the first women to be appointed to work a senior FIFA mens tournament. A few years later, Canadian Sonia Denoncourt became the first woman to be designated as an official FIFA-accredited referee. Jonsson ended up working as a lineswoman in the Final. In the third-place playoff game on November 29, 1991, Guedes, and her assistants, Chinas Zuo Xiudi and New Zealands Linda Black, also became the first all-female team to officiate in a FIFA tournament. Jawahir Roble is the first female Muslim referee, she plans to continue to smash stereotypes by officiating in the Premier League. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. There are a few names you will hear frequently when discussing history-making women working the mens game in Europe. Katalin Kulcsar is a Hungarian football referee and a role model for aspiring female referees around the world. So the sight of four female refs on the pitch was nothing short of astonishing. When I'm not at football matches, I also do media at a lawn-mowing company. female refs on the pitch was nothing short of astonishing. 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 . 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. Rebecca Welch has made history by becoming the first woman appointed to referee a game in the English Football League. We also enjoy being role models to young people and to ourselves when we are together. Francia Gonzalez worked as the Fourth Referee and Dianne Ferreira-James of Guyana as Assessor. An all-female team from Ukraine took charge of an international between San Marino and Gibraltar last year. 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. Claudia Umpierrez is a groundbreaking female referee in the world of 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.". "It would have been nice to have had a girls' team. In January 2020, she won the award for the UPL's best . "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. Referees must be physically fit and have the necessary knowledge and experience to officiate at the highest level. 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. Jonsson ended up working as a lineswoman in the Final. [21], Her involvement in the qualification stage for the Women's World Cup increased for the 2011 edition of the competition, taking up the role of assistant referee for Norway's 20 win over Ukraine,[22] Sweden's 10 away victory over the Czech Republic in Prague[23] and Belgium's 110 home win over Azerbaijan. "We've got to make sure that women see this as an environment that is welcoming to them. Klopp then accused Tierney of saying something that was "not OK" and . Whether thats playing to officiating, start from the bottom at grass roots and work your way up to gain your skills. The 37-year-old, who . Zooming in on the . We are incredibly happy we have a team now where we can play together at this standard and at this level and we love it! She added: "Without any struggles, no one is going to get anywhere, it . "I have never seen a group of officials being that professional, that organised, that detailed in their preparation, on their fitness targets, nutrition. 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. Here is a look at the top 10 female football referees from around the world. 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. Becoming the first female to referee in the Premier League is now one of Welch's next targets, but she is keen to inspire more women to pick up the whistle along the way. 03:15 - Source: CNN. Follow live updates as Arsenal travel to Wolfsburg in the first leg of their Women's Champions League semi-final. 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. 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. Nathan McAndrew's return of 5-53 is so far his best figures in England. 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. "We also play football ourselves, which is why we are interested and involved. [20] In September 2007 Massey was assistant referee at England Women's 21 international friendly defeat by Denmark Women. Frappart took charge of refereeing a mens UEFA Champions League match in December 2020 (another first) and was the first woman in charge of a mens World Cup Qualifying match in March 2021. Your email address will not be published. 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. "Now we have Rebecca Welch, Natalie Aspinall, Sian Massey-Ellis, Lisa Rashid breaking through these glass ceilings and really pushing the boundaries forward," she added. What is the age limit for FIFA referees? Before Lucy, there were no female referees in professional football and she is determined to make sure that she isnt the last. In August 2020, Kathryn Nesbitt 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. 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. Copyrights Fast Sportsly. Frappart becomes first female ref in men's WCQ, Massey-Ellis: Fine line between criticism and sexism. [10], On 11 February 2010, Massey-Ellis refereed the season's FA Women's Premier League Cup final between Leeds Carnegie and Everton at Rochdale's Spotland Stadium. She is the only female FIFA referee in Switzerland and is paving the way for other women in the sport. became the first woman to referee a men's World Cup game. omen in professional sports as players, game officials, coaches and front office personnel w, virtually non-existent. I'm very fortunate to have been given this opportunity and I'm really excited about it. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. The first female referee in the Premier League was Sian Massey-Ellis, who made her debut in 2010. 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 assistant referees for this season. 'I'm going to ref at the World Cup' says UK's first Muslim referee. Matches were played in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, with five franchises taking part. (Photo: Drahan Ardas archives via Facebook). "My only concern was were they were going to take the girls and then only use them the fourth official? But like Steinhaus-Webb, she is keen to make sure any promotion is for the right reasons. "The quality coming through female officials is absolutely mind-blowing.". As I live in Ecuador, that usually means Im tuning in to a LigaPro Serie A match (thats the top domestic level in which my team, Barcelona, won the title last season). VideoCounty Antrim pupils record special coronation hymn. All rights reserved. Ref 1 Edward Smart Asst. 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 . I've got a big support network, and nobody understands you better than another referee. Per the BBC, as of June 2020, there were 2,146 women refereeing across all levels of English football. Video, 00:02:10, 'Anyone can referee' says UK's first Muslim female ref, Watch Newsround - signed and subtitled. So the sight of. How to get into football - the most popular sport in the world, with clubs and facilities throughout the UK. "My dad is probably my biggest fan, so he's over the moon. Rebecca Welch has become the first female referee to be appointed to a game in the English Football League, it has been announced. Sian Massey-Ellis is a trailblazing female football referee who has broken down barriers in what is traditionally seen as a male-dominated industry. "It seems to have been a whirlwind over the past 11 years and now we're a week away from one of the biggest games of my career. 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. She has praised the support and influence of Sian Massey-Ellis, an assistant referee in the Premier League. Bibiana Steinhaus began refereeing in the mens 2. "I actually have two jobs. Id never seen myself as a trailblazer until the last year, where Ive started to accept it because I think its important that people who are fortunate enough to be in my position or similar can show people that this can be done, she said. Barcelona eliminated Chelsea FC on aggregate, 2-1, after the two teams played to a 1-1 draw during the . Blowing the whistle to start Harrogate Towns game against Port Vale could be just the first of many milestones. External Link, Arsenal to play Manchester United in New York Germany's 4-2 win over Costa Rica on Thursday. 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