2023 BBC. Top 10 Penn State Nittany Lions football players, Notre Dame Football Jersey History (Update 2023), Top 10 Penn State Nittany Lions football players 2023, Top 12 Best Iowa Football Players Of All-Time 2023, Top 12 Texas Longhorns Football Players 2023, England National Football Team Players in 2023, Best Venezuela national football team Players, What Is A Field Goal In Basketball (Step By Step Full Guide), What Is A Carry In Basketball? Francia Gonzalez worked as the Fourth Referee and Dianne Ferreira-James of Guyana as Assessor. But it's really important to have a support network not connected to football too.". That's always something we're striving towards on a daily occurrence.". English referee Sian Massey-Ellis believes it is only a matter of time before there is a female referee in the Premier League. 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. Monday's League Two clash is no glitzy affair. Germanys Bundesliga and Frances Ligue 1 have employed women referees, and Stphanie Frappart refereed a mens Champions League match last December. The sky is the limit. Mr. Shafiqul is the Chief Sports Editor of Fast Sportsly. Frappart was the first woman to take charge of a major European final when she officiated the UEFA Super Cup match between Liverpool and Chelsea in August 2019. Melksham was born in Australia and began her career as a referee in the state of Victoria in 2001. Making History: Female Soccer Referees - Groundhopper Soccer Guides Its so weird seeing the Euros trophy in real life because we have only seen it on the telly. Since then, Welch, from Washington in Tyne and Wear, has gone beyond the challenge. "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. Female referees continue to deal with sexist comments and actions on the field, by announcers, and by the public. Play for free, entries by 3:00pm. There are now a number of female referees taking charge of games at the highest level. "We need more people involved, more fans and more broadcast events. FIFA remains committed to increasing the number of female referees and has established a Referee Womens Development. They're really proud," she said. | Why It Matters, UFC Fight Night: JJ Aldrich vs Ariane Lipski Live Streaming Watch Now. To be clear, there is work still to be done to eradicate sexism in football. , 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. I've got to keep on performing, achieving those marks, to get those rewards. "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. Asked how long it would be before a woman took charge of a Premier League game, she said "maybe five years". The NBA's five full-time women referees are changing the game - ESPN 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. ', 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. World leaders want treaty to work together against pandemics. Gloucestershire collapse after big Sussex run haul There are a few names you will hear frequently when discussing history-making women working the mens game in Europe. 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. Other women referees Serie A is not the first league to appoint a female official to referee a match. Bundesliga in 2007 and established her name as the first female referee in German mens professional football. 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. 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. In January 2021, three women became the first to control a match at a senior Confederation of African Football (CAF) mens tournament. Welch, who earns 120 per National League match, is aware of well-publicised cases of sexism towards female officials in the past but says she has never encountered that personally. 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 . Is it common? I never want to be appointed based on anything else. "I don't want positive discrimination," she said. 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.". Her colleague Cludia Vasconcelos Guedes of Brazil, was the first female referee to take charge in a FIFA tournament. Football refereeing in England - Wikipedia Wendy Toms made history when, in 1991, she worked as the fourth referee in the old Third Division. Stphanie Frappart to make history as the first woman to referee - CNN Required fields are marked *. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. formId: "1e092068-e6c8-4d90-9b3f-cc61c5958770" But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. The latest rumours and stories from around the world of football. I don't really try to focus too much on the future, I always take one game at a time. "I'm still trying to let it sink in," Welch told Sky Sports News. Do not miss your chance to land the 250,000 in Friday's Super 6 round. Stephanie Frappart made history on Wednesday by becoming the first female referee to take charge of a men's Champions League game, while female referees have been employed in the Bundesliga and . "We've got to make sure that women see this as an environment that is welcoming to them. 03:15 - Source: CNN. Women were less common running the sidelines of mens football in England in the early 20th century. I truly love what I do! [5][6][7], She is based in Coventry, West Midlands. Follow live updates as Arsenal travel to Wolfsburg in the first leg of their Women's Champions League semi-final. 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. (Photo: Phil Stephens Photography/FIFA Museum). There are more than 50 female officials across the Premier League, Championship, Women's Super League and Women's Championship. 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. In 2014, Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling became the first woman hired as a full-time NBA official in nearly two decades. She's excited, but I don't think she knows why! "My dad is probably my biggest fan, so he's over the moon. Denise Bueno is making history in the world of football as the first female referee in Brazil. 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. "Initially I wasnt really aware of being appointed as the first female referee," Welch said on Tuesday. 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. Like all referees, Welch has to earn her stripes and move up the ladder accordingly. English soccer's first female Muslim referee, Jawahir Roble, says she aims to one day officiate in the Premier League. Blowing the whistle to start Harrogate Towns game against Port Vale could be just the first of many milestones. "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 . Meet the people of the FA Women's National League - Premier League Massey-Ellis was wearing shorts, and women are required to cover their legs and hair in public by Iranian law. Welch, who was recently promoted to UEFA's elite category of officials, has refereed in the National League for the past three seasons and has taken charge of the Women's FA Cup final at Wembley. She was the first woman to officiate a Bundesliga game in 2017. 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. The referees officiate matches that range from local football to Premier League matches. 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. VideoWatch Newsround - signed and subtitled, Wildflowers fit for a king: Special seeds for schools to mark coronation, County Antrim pupils record special coronation hymn. "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. 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 . It used to spark conversations about how I got into it, but all being very positive. 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. (Photo: Michael Regan/Getty). 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. A referee on Teesside by the age of 14, Harrington officiated his first Premier League game in December 2021. 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. She began her refereeing career in the late 1980s and in 1991 she became the fourth referee. 29 April 2023 Counties 16. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The tournament, FIFA stated in its announcement, would feature the first female referees in the 92-year history of the men's World Cup, with six women among the 129 officials. 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. Jonsson, who started refereeing in 1983, recalls that it was the first competitive international tournament in which women officiated. We've had to analyse Stourbridge Women a lot and hold respect for the opponents. 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. Ref 1 Scott Ledger Asst. 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. 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. Mark Clattenburg: Former Premier League referee criticized for - CNN I've loved sports all my life - I grew up playing cricket and football for 20 years so getting a job in this industry is ideal for me and the best thing that could happen. Aurelie Sara Bollier is a female football referee making waves in male-dominated sport. Cream Magazine by Themebeez. Read about our approach to external linking. "[I like] the games when nobody remembers who the ref is. "Millie Rogers is our favourite player from Stourbridge Women's. Of the 211 FIFA-affiliated associations (countries), 156 have at least one female international match official. By that stretch . The Premier League could still be a decade away from assigning its first female referee, according to Referees' Association chairman Paul Field. [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.