Welch becomes 1st woman to ref in English men's pro league

Posted April 05, 2021 7:00 am

The Associated Press

Referee Rebecca Welch in action during the English League Two soccer match between Harrogate Town and Port Vale at the EnviroVent Stadium, Harrogate, England, Monday, April 5, 2021. The Associated Press

HARROGATE, England (AP) - Rebecca Welch became the first female referee to officiate an English men's professional league game on Monday, and the managers of the teams involved were full of praise for her performance.

The 37-year-old Welch took charge of Port Vale's 2-0 win over Harrogate in the fourth tier.

She is on FIFA's international list and has twice been referee for the Women's FA Cup final, in 2017 and 2020. She took up refereeing 11 years ago.

Harrogate manager Simon Weaver said he hopes Welch's display signals the start of more women officiating in the English Football League, which covers the three leagues below the Premier League.

'œHopefully it's just par for the course that we see female referees and officials in the EFL,'ť Weaver said. 'œIt's about time.'ť

Port Vale manager Darrell Clarke said Welch was 'œfocused and didn't get much wrong.'ť

'œWe need to see more women referees and lineswomen moving forward,'ť Clarke said. 'œThey should be judged like anyone else and she's had a good start.'ť

___

More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Referee Rebecca Welch runs, during the English League Two soccer match between Harrogate Town and Port Vale at the EnviroVent Stadium, Harrogate, England, Monday, April 5, 2021. (Nigel French/PA via AP) The Associated Press

Article Comments

Article Categories
Content Providers MLS Pro Sports Soccer Sports Sports Leagues Sports Types

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.