Rebecca can blaze a trail for women refs all way to Premier League
EASTER Monday this year produced a couple of firsts that generated some interest for me. It maybe did not register with you, but I can tell you it involved a lady called Rebecca Welch who on Monday became the first female referee to officiate in a football League game – Harrogate v Port Vale.
Way back, I spent a few years refereeing football matches at weekends. Both the players and the officials were normally males, but I do recall being appointed to take a female game when Watford played Luton.
I had been advised it might be a rough game but, in the event, it turned out to be a pretty mild affair.
While at university my son took the refereeing exams and then supplemented his meagre funds blowing his whistle on the Downs at Bristol. He carried on after uni and certainly got a long way up the refereeing ranks without making it to the Football League.
Currently the training officer for referees in the West Midlands, he tells me a lot of lasses are now taking up the whistle and he expects more to get to the Football League pretty soon.
Now none of them can be the first female in the middle of a league game as this role has now been achieved by Rebecca Welch. The timing was pretty clever as at the moment there are no spectators to add to the pressure, but that was made up for by the number of football journalists from all over the country who, I guess, were watching Rebecca!
Mike Riley, the current boss for refereeing appointments, was also present and from the press report that graced the Daily Telegraph, I assume he was well pleased as she apparently had a particularly good game. The home team manager said the same – and his team had lost!
Personally I think she was a good choice to be the first. It is only 10 years since she began refereeing, but she started late and is now 37 years old.
Putting aside the fact that she would doubtless have to have been judged one of the very best, it was also a benefit to be older than most of the players on Monday.
She now has a reputation for competence in the middle, and I just wonder if she will be the first lady to take the middle in a Premiership game. I wish her well in the future.
The other first on Monday I actually watched on the TV. This was the first time I had seen the Irish Grand National, and I did so because the Irish horses had been so good at Cheltenham a couple of weeks ago. The novelty though was the fact that the winner of the race started at odds of 150-1 and proved to be the longest odds ever for a winner of this race!
Maybe even more unexpected, he did what is known as “made it all” meaning he led the race from start to finish.
I have seen a race run like that before, but not on over four miles with a lot of runners. I had favoured the horse that came second, but as usual I had chosen the wrong horse! This reminded me of a visit with my son to Cheltenham many years ago.
It was hardly a major meeting and I was simply wandering around on my own. I had selected a horse to back and joined a short queue at a bookies. The guy in front of me bet £1,000 on a horse at 100-1. This seemed daft to me so I walked away. If only I had made a small bet each way, I would have made a lot of money as it came second. I did tell my son, who would have backed it, but to this day refuses to believe this story I swear is true!
She apparently had a particularly good game. The home team manager said the same – and his team had lost!