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Rebecca Welch became the first female referee in an EPL match when she officiated Fulham’s clash against Burnley at Craven Cottage on Saturday. In the latest match as an EPL referee, she was booed for turning down two major foul appeals in the first 10 minutes. The game saw Burnley registering a 2-0 win over their counterparts. The Saturday clash wasn’t Welch’s first outing in the English top tier.
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In 2021, Welch became the first woman appointed to referee a match in the English Football League when she officiated the fourth-tier fixture between Harrogate and Port Vale. On November 4, 2023, the 40-year-old worked as an official between Fulham and Manchester United. Not only this, but she has handled the second tier matches in Championship and FA Cup.
Welch earlier worked for the National Health Service while she began her referring career in 2010. Later, she rose through the ranks and became the first woman referee in an English Football League match. Along with that, she has also officiated several high-profile women’s fixtures at the 2023 edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup matches.
TV personality Piers Morgan applauded Welch and said, "Congrats to Rebecca Welch on becoming the first woman referee in the Premier League. By all accounts she had a very solid game, and was clearly there on merit, though every Fulham fan is now blaming her for their own players' dreadful performance. So, she should fit in very well!"
