EFL TO GET FIRST-EVER FEMALE REF

REBECCA WELCH will become the first female to referee an English Football League game when she takes charge of the League Two clash between Harrogate and Port Vale on Easter Monday.

The 37-year-old (above), from Washington, refereed the 2017 Women’s FA Cup final and has officiated eight National League games this season.

Welch said: “I am still kind of trying to let it sink in. I got the news on Saturday and still haven’t come back down to Earth.

“It’s very exciting, it is really good for me and the next steps of my career. I am very fortunate to be given this opportunity.”

Amy Fearn was the first woman to referee an EFL game as she came on as an injury replacement in the 2010 Championship game between Coventry and Nottingham Forest. But Welch is the first to be given a game from the start.

She added: “My dad is my biggest fan, so pre-Covid he came to every single game, he was over the moon. My mum doesn’t know a lot about football, so she is excited, but I don’t think she knows why she is excited. They are really proud, so that is really nice.”

Sian Massey-Ellis is an established assistant referee in the Premier League and Welch said: “In the last 10 years I’ve put a lot of hard work and commitment in and I’ve reaped the rewards from that by getting promoted.

“But I’d never seen myself as a trailblazer until the last year, where I’ve started to accept it.

“It’s 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 pyramid look up and know that they can achieve the same.

“It shows that there is a real opportunity to young girls who are wondering if they are to take the whistle or are already referees they can aspire to be an EFL referee or like Sian Massey-Ellis, operating in the Premier League.”

French referee Stephanie Frappart took charge of the World Cup Qualifier between Holland and Latvia on Saturday.

She was already the first woman to referee a Champions League match, taking charge of Juventus v Dynamo Kiev last December.