Rebecca Welch became the first woman to referee a Premier League match, the English championship, during the match between Fulham and Burnley this Saturday, December 23. She kicked off the match at Craven Cottage, a stadium where she had already officiated as fourth official in November during the Fulham-Manchester United match, which was already a first. In 2021, the Englishwoman had already become the first woman to referee a professional match in England during a League Two (4th division) match between Port Vale and Harrogate. She has since refereed matches in the Championship (2nd division) and the FA Cup, more precisely a third round match in January 2022 between Birmingham City and Plymouth Argyle. Welch follows in the footsteps of the French Stéphanie Frappart, referee in Ligue 1 after having crossed several barriers, notably at the international level, in the world of men’s football.
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