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Premier League history to be made as female ref to take charge of first top-flight game
History will be made later this month.
Rebecca Welch will make history by becoming the first female referee to officiate a men's Premier League fixture when she takes to the field on December 23 as Fulham host Burnley at Craven Cottage.
In 2021, she became the first woman to be appointed to referee an English Football League match and now the 40-year-old Brit is set to go one step further. Welch began refereeing in 2010, initially balancing the role alongside her job in the NHS.
She has since gone on to officiate multiple high-profile matches in the Women's Super League and was also the 23rd woman on the pitch for the 2017 and 2020 Women's FA Cup finals at Wembley Stadium.
Meanwhile, she also took charge of games at the 2022 UEFA Women’s European Championship and the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. As of December 2020, Welch is recognised on FIFA’s Elite List of International Match Officials.
But she is not the only official making history in December. Sam Allison will become the first black referee to take charge of a Premier League fixture in 15 years later this month.
The league's last and only black referee, Uriah Rennie, retired in 2008. Allison will oversee Sheffield United vs Luton Town on Boxing Day. A statement from the Premier League on Thursday read: "History will be made in the Premier League this Christmas, with Rebecca Welch becoming the competition's first woman referee and Sam Allison the first black official to take charge of a match for 15 years.
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"PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited) has announced that both officials will oversee top-flight matches this month. Welch will be the referee when Fulham host Burnley on Saturday 23 December.
"Allison will be in charge for Sheffield United v Luton Town on Boxing Day, becoming the Premier League's first black referee since Uriah Rennie, who officiated in the competition for 11 years until 2008.
"The pair will be the fourth and fifth referees from PGMOL's Select Group 2 to take charge of a Premier League fixture this season, following in the footsteps of Sam Barrott, Bobby Madley and Josh Smith."