The Premier League has its first female referee. Rebecca Welch blew her whistle to start the match between Fulham and Burnley on Saturday in a landmark moment for England’s top league.
Applauded by some fans ahead of match at Craven Cottage in London
The Premier League has its first female referee.
Rebecca Welch blew her whistle to start the match between Fulham and Burnley on Saturday in a landmark moment for England’s top league.
Rebecca Welch will make history today – becoming the first woman to referee a <a href=”https://twitter.com/premierleague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@premierleague</a> game 👏👏<a href=”https://twitter.com/BarclaysWSL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@BarclaysWSL</a> ➡️ <a href=”https://twitter.com/AdobeWFACup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@AdobeWFACup</a> ➡️ <a href=”https://twitter.com/EFL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@EFL</a> ➡️ <a href=”https://twitter.com/EmiratesFACup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@EmiratesFACup</a> ➡️ <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/WEURO2022?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#WEURO2022</a> ➡️ <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/FIFAWWC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#FIFAWWC</a> ➡️ <a href=”https://twitter.com/premierleague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@premierleague</a>. <br><br>Read all about history-making referee Rebecca and her journey 👇
—@FA
She was applauded by some fans as she emerged from the tunnel ahead of the match at Craven Cottage.
Welch has already worked as the fourth official in the Premier League, for the match between Fulham and Manchester United on Nov. 4. She has handled matches in the second-tier Championship and FA Cup.
Welch has been a referee since 2010, initially balancing the role with her job in the National Health Service before becoming a full-time match official.