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. Several competitions include UEFA Champions League, Premier League, Bundesliga, and Ligue 1 have already had a female referee. Senior figures in the game are privately tipping her to become the Premier League's first woman referee. 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. The Football Association points to an explosion in the number of women referees since the formation of the Women's Super League, with numbers up 76% between 2016 and 2020 and 2,146 officiating . Video, County Antrim pupils record special coronation hymn. When Rebecca Welch blows her whistle at Harrogate Towns home fixture with Port Vale next Monday, a significant milestone in English football will finally have been reached. My work ranges from travelling to take photos for grassroots football to professional games, sometimes even travelling internationally. Fernanda Colombo Uliana is quickly becoming a household name in football as the first female referee in Brazils top-flight football league, the Campeonato Brasileiro Srie A. Fernanda has overcome many obstacles to reach this level and is now at the forefront of the movement for gender equality in football. Welch was one of 12 referees at the Women's Euro 2022, with Massey-Ellis and Rashid among the assistants. ", Brian Pearson (Newcastle United Development fan). I've got to keep on performing, achieving those marks, to get those rewards. "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 . A lack of role models is thought to be part of the problem. They tend to better understand the game and are often better at dealing with players and coaches. CRY 4 - 3 WHU. "The quality coming through female officials is absolutely mind-blowing.". Katalin Kulcsar is a Hungarian football referee and a role model for aspiring female referees around the world. Jawahir Roble: England's First Female Muslim Referee Aiming - Insider "It's great to see the game has changed since I started watching it by including women's games seriously, and it's amazing to see how professional the leagues are forming. The first female referee in FIFA was Jacqui Melksham, who was approved in 2005. "We've got to try and cut away some of the non-conscious bias that is still out there. To become a FIFA referee, applicants must pass a fitness test and complete a refereeing course. "We know who we are as a fairly big club and that we are a great team. External Link, Arsenal to play Manchester United in New York 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. "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. "Millie Rogers is our favourite player from Stourbridge Women's. Looking back on her unlikely route into refereeing, Welch said the fixture is "amazing for me". Klopp: We will do business | Chelsea transfer model impossible for manager, Carra: Everton display will worry rivals | 'Big Sam makes sense for Leeds', Transfer Centre - Neville: Spurs can't afford to lose Kane this summer, Brecel holds off Selby fightback to win World Snooker final, Arteta: This is not over | Lampard: Arsenal still in the title race, Ref Watch: 'Klopp case closed but Jota got lucky! 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. ", Owen: Relegation battle is going down to the wire, Leicester and Everton forced to share a point Mr. Shafiqul is the Chief Sports Editor of Fast Sportsly. [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. With Welch taking charge of Harrogate v Port Vale on Easter Monday, Molly McElwee writes on why this appointment matters for the game. "I got the news on Saturday and haven't come back down to earth yet. Cream Magazine by Themebeez. Analysis and opinion from our chief football writer. We also enjoy being role models to young people and to ourselves when we are together. That's not a bad thing, it's just, especially in the North East of England, there were very few. 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). "My dad is probably my biggest fan, so he's over the moon. According to Tabarelli, Edith Klinger from Austria, who was active from 1935 1938, was the first female referee to officiate both mens and womens matches. Activist group My Stealthy Freedom publicly complained about the censorship. We need to keep on educating people, about how it makes that person feel. "I actually have two jobs. However, at the time, they could not be appointed to games because there were no women on the 1991 FIFA List of Referees. 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 . But it's really important to have a support network not connected to football too.". Zooming in on the . "We are both in the same leagues but in different areas of the country, so we knew it was going to be a tough game and had to make sure we were reliable to each other as team-mates on where we were playing on the pitch. The Premier League could still be a decade away from assigning its first female referee, according to Referees' Association chairman Paul Field. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Other women referees Serie A is not the first league to appoint a female official to referee a match. However, at the time, they could not be appointed to games because there were no women on the 1991 FIFA List of Referees. The competitiveness is just as strong, though, compared to other leagues because everyone wants to win. Women were less common running the sidelines of mens football in England in the early 20th century. 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. The Women's Premier League (WPL) is a women's Twenty20 cricket franchise league in India. Sian Massey-Ellis - Wikipedia "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. Asked how long it would be before a woman took charge of a Premier League game, she said "maybe five years". formId: "1e092068-e6c8-4d90-9b3f-cc61c5958770" Welch to take charge of Harrogate v Port Vale on Monday, This opportunity to work in the EFL is amazing for me. Everything you need to know to make sure you never miss a moment. All rights reserved. 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. 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. The English Football League (EFL) has appointed it's very first female referee. Here Are Some Places to Start. LV= County Championship . She began her refereeing career in the late 1980s and in 1991 she became the fourth referee. So it was a groundbreaking achievement when, in May 1981, Betty Ellis became the first female to officiate a professional soccer game in the U.S. She was a lineswoman at a North American Soccer League (NASL) match between the Portland Timbers and Calgary Boomers at Civic Stadium (now Providence Park). In the early 80s, women in professional sports as players, game officials, coaches and front office personnel were virtually non-existent. Welch is the highest-ranking female referee in English football, has refereed in the National League for the past three seasons and has taken charge of the Women's FA Cup final at Wembley among other fixtures. [28], She is married to Robert Ellis, who is also a football referee. Katie Patterson is making history as the first female to referee a professional football match in England. Today, these games are at an amateur level, but it is run on more professional grounds, which is good to see. "I'm still trying to let it sink in," Welch told Sky Sports News. The 37-year-old, who . Jonsson ended up working as a lineswoman in the Final. Aurelie Sara Bollier is a female football referee making waves in male-dominated sport. Born in 1983, Fernanda began her football journey at the age of 15 when she joined a local female football team in her hometown of Porto Alegre. Fearn became the first female to referee an FA Cup game in the main draw in 2013. The age limit for FIFA referees is 45 years old. 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. But Frampton believes too many female officials are lost to the top of the game because of problems at grassroots level. The 37-year-old from County Durham has become the first woman selected to referee a mens match in the English Football League. To be clear, there is work still to be done to eradicate sexism in football. [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. 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.