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, she is recognised on FIFA’s Elite List of International Match Officials.
Sam Allison is also set to become the first black Premier League referee for 15 years in the same month.
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