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Dec 15, 2023 · Rebecca Welch will become the first woman to referee a Premier League match when she takes charge of Fulham vs Burnley on 23 December.
- Lawrence Ostlere
Dec 14, 2023 · Welch made history in November when she became the first woman to be involved in the Premier League in a refereeing capacity, taking up the role of fourth official when Manchester United beat...
Dec 23, 2023 · Rebecca Welch made history when Fulham hosted Burnley on Saturday, becoming the first woman to referee a Premier League match. Welch broke new ground in November when she became the first woman to be appointed to the role of fourth official for a Premier League match in Manchester United 's 1-0 win at Fulham.
- Overview
- Welch's pathway to the top
- Welch shines as history made
Rebecca Welch became the first woman to referee a Premier League match when she officiated Fulham vs Burnley on Saturday.
Welch has long been a trailblazer in men's football, having become the first woman to be appointed to referee an EFL match in April 2021 and the first to take charge of a men's FA Cup fixture in January 2022.
Welch was also appointed as the fourth official for Manchester United's 1-0 win at Fulham in November - the first woman to carry out the role in the Premier League.
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Image: Welch made history in January by becoming the first female to take charge of a Championship fixture.
Wendy Toms became the first woman to be an assistant referee in the top flight in 1997 before being joined by Amy Fearn, Sian Massey-Ellis and Natalie Aspinall.
The pathway for a referee is different and Welch made history in January by becoming the first female to take charge of a Championship fixture.
Welch was then selected to referee at the Women's World Cup where she was appointed to three matches including the last-16 tie between co-hosts Australia and Denmark.
Welch took charge of the Women's FA Cup final in 2017 and 2020 and was promoted to UEFA's elite category of female referees that year when she left her job as an administrator in the National Health Service.
In 2021, she became the first female to referee a professional game in England between Port Vale and Harrogate Town in League Two.
Image: Referee Rebecca Welch books Calvin Bassey (not pictured)
Sky Sports' David Richardson at Craven Cottage:
"Rebecca Welch looked confident and relaxed in the tunnel at Craven Cottage, high-fiving the Fulham mascots as the teams lined up.
"The 40-year-old shared a joke with Lyle Foster before blowing her whistle to start the match and create history.
"Welch waited patiently until the 22nd minute to award her first free-kick before then booking Calvin Bassey three minutes later albeit harshly when the Fulham defender's left arm accidentally caught the face of Josh Brownhill as the pair turned to chase after a loose ball.
"But Welch took the game in her stride without getting needlessly involved, stepping in twice in the space of three second-half minutes to book Joao Palhinha and then Jordan Beyer for cynical fouls.
Dec 15, 2023 · Rebecca Welch is set to become the first woman to referee a Premier League match after being appointed to officiate Fulham vs Burnley on Saturday December 23.
Dec 23, 2023 · Rebecca Welch has made history after becoming the first woman to referee a Premier League match. The 40-year-old took charge of Fulham's game against Burnley at Craven Cottage today, which saw the London hosts lose 2-0.
Dec 14, 2023 · Welch, who hails from Washington in Tyne and Wear, was the first woman to referee matches in the Championship and FA Cup third round, and last month she became the first woman to act as fourth official in a Premier League match when she formed part of the officiating team for the fixture between Fulham and Manchester United.
