REFEREES, REBECCA AND OTHERS

from before....Rebecca Welch, 37 years old, is the highest ranked female referee in the English Football League and she will make history today (21st April 2021), taking charge of the EF League 2 match between Harrogate Town and Port Vale and being lined up for the rest of the season. She started showing an interest in the game 11 years ago, starting in local leagues and getting promoted rapidly on merit. She is now in the UEFA Elite Category and has refereed the Women's FA Cup Final at Wembley, her highest achievement so far, been full time in the National League, the Women's Super League and the Women's Champions' League. 

Today in the Daily Telegraph, she had a page to herself, written by Tom Garry, who began his piece with the statement that Rebecca never planned to be a referee. Working in admin for the NHS, she never intended to referee, until a friend suggested that as well as playing the game she might think about refereeing. Her support from the NHS has been first class and she is a massive beacon for women and those who feel that they can't have a double career. She is now full time, travelling to Europe and of course across the UK, but she plans to go back to the NHS when she retires.

Her latest career step is to promote an abuse free environment by supporting the "Coin of Respect" campaign which was launched in April by the FA with support from Nationwide. There was a nation wide capaign for children to design a "Coin of Respect" which 12 year old Chloe from Surrey won and her design will be on referees' coins delivered to over 20,000 Grass Roots' referees all over the country, to be used a the toss etc. Her coin reflects that every one should be able to to take a part in football and be greated equally. Rebecca Welch certainly demands that on her watch. She says that there is huge difference between somebody abusing you (a ref) or just disagreeing with her decisions. She feels she has not had a hard time through abuse over her 11 years in the game. She does syas that some people have suffered, so there is a need for change and education. (see her below)

Wendy Toms became the first female assistant ref on the EFL list and then reffed in the conference and lined on the PL. 

In 2010 Amy Fearn made history, taking over during a game, from her role as a referee assistant, when the referee,  Tony Bates,  was injured during a Coventry and Nottingham Forest, English Football League match.

Bibiana Steinhaus was the first female ref in the Bundesliga who will soon oversee English Women's Super League

On this link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/53906567  is Jawahir Roble, born in Somalia and once a refugee, now a referee!!! living in England. She is the first female Muslim to referee at the higher level in Britain, at the moment in the Women's Soccer league.

A couple of years ago at Penistone Church FC, my local "senior" club, I saw Sian Massey-Ellis (below) take charge of a league game and she has now successfully risen up the rankings and made it to the Community Shield between Man City and Liverpool and also  recently took charge in a Europa League match, where she officiated the 0-0 draw between PSV Eindhoven and Austria's Linzer ASK at the Philips Stadium.

Stephanie Frappart (below) has, of course. refereed the UEFA Super Cup between Liverpool and Chelsea, the Women's World Cup between USA and the Netherlands and the Champions' League tie between Juventus and Dynamo Kiev in Turin.