SIKH BROTHERS OFFICIATE IN SAME GAME
HISTORY was made in the English Football League last Saturday (10) when Sikh brothers Bhups and Sunny Singh Gill became the first pair of British south Asians to officiate in the same Championship game.
Their father, Jarnail Singh, was the first turbaned Sikh to have been a referee in the English Football League. Both brothers were part of the officiating team for Saturday’s match between Bristol City and Nottingham Forest. Bhups was one of two assistant referees for the Championship match at Ashton Gate, with Sunny named fourth official.
Bhupinder, 36, a PE teacher started refereeing in his mid-teens and is also England’s highestranked South Asian assistant referee. His brother, Sunny, 35, is a prison officer at HMP Feltham and started refereeing at the age of 15. He is also the most senior British
South Asian referee in the country.
The brothers from Berkshire have officiated in the Championship this season but never in the same game. Moreover, the rare occasion of both the brothers being part of the same match, has been greeted by the Punjabi community.
Shadow secretary of State for International Development, Preet Kaur Gill, who is also Britain’s first Sikh female member of parliament, told Sky Sports News: “I think it’s (going to be) wonderful to see the two brothers refereeing and the likelihood of them refereeing a Championship game is brilliant.” Former Premier League match official Howard Webb, who refereed the 2010 World Cup final, told Sky Sports News he is thrilled to see them progress.
“I’m absolutely thrilled to see the progress that Sunny and Bhups have made in the game. I go back with their dad for quite some time, we worked in the Football League together. And Jarnail Singh was always a pleasure to work with. They (Bhups and Sunny) are athletic, they know how to manage people, all these skills that you need to be successful. These guys have done more than survive, they’ve excelled,” he added.