Welch becomes the first woman to referee in the Premier League

Rebecca Welch made history on Saturday when she became the first woman to referee a Premier League match.

Welch became a referee in 2010 when she combined it with a job in the NHS, before becoming a full-time official in 2019.

In January, Welch became the first woman to do so referee for a men’s championship match.

She returned to Craven Cottage a month later after serving as fourth official Fulham’s 1-0 Premier League defeat by Manchester United.

Burnley manager Vincent Kompany, who spoke to Welch at full-time, said: “I wanted to congratulate her because it is a big moment.

“After the match it is fair to say that this is a milestone and there can be more to come. It is always best when someone is judged on merit.

“But you have to have a first and this is it, so well done [to her] and I’m happy to be part of this moment.”

Welch was the first woman to take charge of an FA Cup third round tie in 2022 added to the EFL national list for men’s football, which oversees both League One and League Two fixtures.

The referee, from Washington in Tyne and Wear, was a guiding light for English officials in the Women’s Super League.

Her work has also been recognized on the international stage, as she was added to FIFA’s elite list of international match officials in December 2020, before refereeing the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in the summer.

“We have never seen a woman take charge of a Premier League match before,” referees chief Howard Webb told BBC Sport.

“We have some really talented officials in the men’s and women’s game. Rebecca leads that.

“She went to the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. She’s been to some big games and is a really good model for women and girls to think that refereeing is for them, when before it wasn’t.”

In July, the Football Association presented plans to do so recruit 50% more referees from “historically under-represented” backgrounds by 2026, with the aim of increasing 1,000 female referees and 1,000 black or Asian referees at all levels of football in three years.