Rebecca Welch: Referee makes history in Port Vale win over Harrogate on EFL officiating debut

[davieG]

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11750/12266886/rebecca-welch-referee-makes-history-in-port-vale-win-over-harrogate-on-efl-officiating-debut?fbclid=IwAR0Y8M4RChxgmdjR0D7GJmMJbA2zkgPHrgZQpKlk7AjWRJZolUf3jhZPrkc

 

Rebecca Welch: Referee makes history in Port Vale win over Harrogate on EFL officiating debut

Welch is the first female to have been appointed to a match as an English Football League referee; the 37-year-old oversaw Port Vale's 2-0 away victory at Harrogate on Easter Monday; Dermot Gallagher tells SSN there is no "ceiling" for what Welch can achieve following her EFL debut

[davieG]

Maybe a few female refs will embarrass some of the players enough to stop their injury theatrics.

[Alf Bentley]

Would've been interesting to see this. Reports suggest she had a good game - 1 penalty that could've been given but wasn't (no video that I can see), 1 penalty claim rightly rejected, 2 yellows, no reds, 2 clear-cut goals.

 

Good point about female refs having the potential to embarrass players rolling on the ground........ "Poor Jack! Would you like Mummy to put a plaster on it for you, Jack?" 

[RowlattsFox]

Absolutely no reason why a female can't referee a men's football match. I actually think it will naturally reduce dissent and abuse aimed at the official when they are in charge. From players at least. 

 

They should be treated like every other ref, if they're shit or make a big mistake then they should be called out without people claiming sexism (usually from other people rather than the individual) and she get the same stick in the ground that every other ref gets  

 

 

[TheUltimateWinner]

Like anything, referees should be elevated through merit no matter their gender.

 

Stephanie Frappert in our EL game was one of the best performances I've ever seen. A complete breath of fresh air compared to some of the dross we endure in the Prem.

[The People's Hero]

There are good and bad male and female refs.

 

Gender/sex is completely irrelevant and the only important factor should be if they are good at the job and fully equipped to do it.

 

There should be no stigma attached to females officiating at a high level just as there should be no stigma attached to being able to criticise a female ref/official.

 

Best of luck to her and let's hope that her sex neither denies her opportunities nor presents her with more opportunities.

[Super_horns]

She must have done well.

 

Even the losing Harrogate manager praised her !

[Wymsey]

You just worry 'Twitter trolls' etc are going to get onto them making lewd comments, especially if a female referee makes a bad decision.

[Corky]

If it encourages other women and girls to take it up then great. There's no reason why they can't referee in top level men's football and the more officials we have the better because I'm sure at the lowest levels it's an unenviable job.

[StanSP]

Very happy for her to make the grade and have a decent game to start. She's clearly there on merit and not through tokenism. The worst thing for her in the game is to have had a howler but gladly it sounds like she didn't.

 

If she's anything like Stephanie Frappart - French female official, she did one of our Europa League games - then she's set to be a quality official.