Welch makes Premier history
LAST week I mentioned that Rebecca Welch had become the first woman to referee a Premier League match, Crystal Palace v Burnley. I’ve not met or talked to Rebecca, but I have listened to her.
In 2020, when the coronavirus lockdown meant the closure of Referee Associations’ meetings around the country, I suggested to the National Association that some form of referee training could be conducted online for members.
They took up my suggestion, and when Rebecca was promoted to become a FIFA Elite Referee, I proposed her as a guest speaker and within a fortnight they let me know she had agreed.
Rebecca, from County Durham, told us in her Geordie accent, that she came from a football mad family.
She played football herself when a youth and it was after she criticised a referee who said to her ‘if you can do any better, then become a referee yourself’, that she decided to give it a try.
The FA’s pronouncement back in 1921, that football was not a suitable sport for women, also meant that women could not become qualified referees. So in other countries, women had a head start.
For instance, Stephanie Frappart of France was the first female referee to referee a men’s international at Wembley when England played Australia, in France’s Ligue 1, the UEFA Super Cup, Liverpool v Chelsea, and in the FIFA Men’s World Cup.
The world’s first woman I can trace in refereeing a men’s match, was Senorita Colona in what was described as a Championship match in Brazil in 1933, 90 years ago.
She got a rather back-handed compliment in a newspaper, when the sports reporter wrote, ‘at least she wasn’t any worse than the other ones’.
I’m pleased to say that Rebecca’s handling of her game got much better reports.
Both the newspapers I read congratulated her on her performance as did the managers of both teams and the Burnley manager repeated his praise to the media.
There was no controversy thanks to her positioning and handling of the game. She always engaged with the players but never became cowed, was the reported view.
In all, £30m is being spent in this country on 30 new football pitches and facilities, especially for women and girls football. More games, more referees required.
If this makes any of my female readers keen to take up the whistle, Berks & Bucks FA will be running courses starting this month or the beginning of the next, and some are likely to be all female. Click ‘expression of interest’ on their website.