Rebecca Welch is set to become the first woman to referee a Premier League match, when she takes charge of Fulham’s game against Burnley on December 23. The 40-year-old began her refereeing journey in 2010 and bagged the milestone in January by becoming the first woman to officiate a Championship match. Last month, she became the first woman to act as a fourth official when she was at the technical area for Fulham’s match vs Manchester United.
Referees’ chief Howard Webb said, “Rebecca is a really calm, focused individual on the field. She does command a lot of respect in a pretty understated way. She has a good reading of the game; she is an accurate decision-maker, a good athlete on the field, too.”
“When you meet her, she’s not got huge stature in terms of being really tall, but she has a presence about her. She’s a really determined official. She is similar in some ways to Stephanie Frappart, the French official who has worked on the Champions League this year.
“She’s worked hard physically, technically and really does deserve this opportunity. I went to see her myself recently in a game in the Championship and was highly impressed by what I saw in terms of her command of the game, good reading of the game, good subtle management of the players as well, and I’ve got no doubt she’ll show all of those qualities at Fulham,” he further added.
Welch was also selected to referee at the Women’s World Cup, managing three matches, including the round of 16 fixture between Australia and Denmark. She was promoted to the EFL as an assistant referee in 2018, but opted to switch to being a referee and work her way in the men’s game.
She was officiating in the National League, which is the fifth tier of English football, and by the 2018-19 season was also managing the women’s game. She was in charge of the Women’s FA Cup final in 2017 and 2020, and was promoted to the UEFA elite category of women referees in 2020, and she also then quit her job as an administrator in the NHS.