Rebecca Welch appointed as Premier League's first female referee

Rebecca Welch will make history this month when she becomes the first woman appointed to referee a Premier League fixture. Credit: PA

Rebecca Welch is set to make history as the first female referee to be appointed to a Premier League fixture.

She will be the referee when Fulham host Burnley on Saturday 23 December.

Welch, from Washington, in Tyne and Wear, became a referee in 2010 and has a number of firsts to her name.

Originally balancing the role alongside her job in the NHS, she is now a full-time official.

In 2021 she became the first woman to be appointed to referee an EFL match when she took charge of the League Two fixture between Harrogate Town and Port Vale.

During her career, she has also officiated high-profile matches in the Women's Super League, while she was referee for both the 2017 and 2020 Women's FA Cup finals at Wembley Stadium.

She has taken charge of matches at the 2022 UEFA Women’s European Championship and the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and was the first woman to referee a Championship match in January 2023.

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