Rebecca Welch made history last night when she became the first woman to referee a Premier League fixture.
The 40-year-old took charge of Burnley’s 2-0 victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage. Welch, who only became a full time referee in 2019, started in 2010 when she combined it with a job in the NHS.
In January, Welch became the first woman to referee a men’s fixture in the Championship. She then returned to Craven Cottage a month on from serving as the fourth official during Fulham’s 1-0 Premier League defeat by Manchester United.
While speaking about her, Burnley manager Vincent Kompany congratulated her, adding that it was a huge milestone moment. He also added that he hopes that there would be more.
Welch was also the first woman to take charge of an FA Cup third-round tie in 2022 after being added to the EFL’s national list for men’s football, which oversees both League One and League Two fixtures.
Welch is also internationally recognized as she was added to Fifa’s elite list of international match officials in December 2020, before refereeing at the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in the summer.
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