“Women have been involved in men’s football for a long time, but we’ve been restricted to just being fans. Now men can’t mock us for not knowing the offside rule — no-one knows that anymore — and we can show that we too can officiate the top games.”
Burnley fan and podcaster Natalie Bromley may have best summed up Rebecca Welch’s Premier League debut.
In an ideal world, there would be no need to pass comment on the fact that a woman was refereeing a top-flight men’s fixture. It would be a normal occurrence. But Saturday was a landmark moment.
For all that it must be normalised, it was a moment that demanded recognition. Not just for the merits of her hard work that has taken her to this point, but also for the game-changing impact of seeing her in charge of the most-watched league on the planet. She becomes a role model for those watching at home, or on the terraces.
“It’s really good,” said Daisy Cooper, a young Fulham fan outside Craven Cottage, who has been going to games since the age of five.
Her grandad Mick asks if she would like to see others. Her reply is without hesitation: “Yes”. Mick along with Daisy’s dad, Ian, have been attending matches since 1986 and were both referees in the county of Surrey. “She can be a role model for women in…
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