Rebecca Welch, a quick riser, will officiate the English top flight’s first-ever match between Burnley and Fulham on December 23, breaking a significant barrier for female referees. The job comes only weeks after Welch, who officiated Fulham’s 1-0 loss to Manchester United at Craven Cottage on November 4, 2023, became the first female official to work as a fourth official in a Premier League game ever.
Welch’s future assignments may depend on how well she performs since the league’s officiating authority is looking to change the way its referees are chosen. Welch, who has competed in both the Women’s Super League and the Women’s World Cup, has risen quickly in the men’s division over the last two years, setting several records.
🚨 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚: Rebecca Welch will become the first female referee in Premier League history when she takes charge of Fulham vs. Burnley on Saturday 23 December. 👏 pic.twitter.com/J0apbhTuef
— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) December 14, 2023
Many soccer fans took to various social media apps to put forth their view on this decision made by the English Premier League. One fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “Joey Barton Bursting Into Flames As We Speak” regarding Joey Barton’s controversial statements about women’s employment in the sport of soccer.
Joey Barton bursting into flames as we speak!
— Luke (@MrLukeJohnston) December 14, 2023
She is going to have a clear window to work top-tier matches after only recently starting to officiate games in the Championship earlier this year. The league is hoping to improve its refereeing record, which has come under heavy fire this season.
Rebecca Welch was a National Health Administrator in 2022
Rebecca Welch, 39, started officiating matches in 2010 and rose to the ranks in both the women’s and men’s divisions of competition. Not only that, she also served as an administrator in the national health services up until 2021 for the country. The average yearly income for an administrator of health services is $76,232.
Welch has been a referee for years in the Women’s Super League. She was appointed to officiate three games in the 2023 Women’s World Cup, including an Australia vs. Denmark Round of 16 encounter. She was also assigned to oversee the Women’s FA Cup finals in 2017 and 2020.
Rebecca Welch’s salary before being appointed as an EPL referee
In 2010, Rebecca began officiating football games. As previously reported, she is the first female referee appointed to an English Football League game. Youth soccer referee pay ranges from $16,500 to $77,000 annually, on average, according to many sources. Its average is $38,531 per annum.
History will be made in the Premier League this Christmas…
Rebecca Welch will become the competition’s first woman referee and Sam Allison the first black official to take charge of a match for 15 years 👇
— Premier League (@premierleague) December 14, 2023
Nevertheless, it’s Welch’s climb in the men’s division that has garnered international attention; each time she succeeds in the sport, she breaks through several barriers. In April 2021, she became the first woman to referee a Football League game, and in the months that followed, she gained a great reputation and a great deal of experience.
It remains to be seen how she does at the highest level of the sport as managing an EPL game is not an easy task, all the eyes will be on her and how she performs. There will be immense pressure on her to deliver the best decisions.