Referee Rebecca Welch is set to be honored with induction into the National Football Museum’s Hall of Fame.
At 40 years old, she made history as the first woman to officiate a Premier League match, overseeing Burnley’s 2-0 win against Fulham in December.
Welch, who began her refereeing career in 2010, previously broke ground as the first woman to referee a men’s game in the Championship in January 2023.
“It’s quite overwhelming, I was very honoured to be asked,” Welch said.
“My journey started 13 years ago and now here I am having refereed in one of the biggest leagues in the world, being inducted to the Hall of Fame alongside legends of the game, it doesn’t feel real to me.”
Upon beginning her refereeing journey in 2010, Welch balanced it with a role in the NHS before transitioning to a full-time officiating position in 2019.
In April 2021, she achieved another milestone by becoming the first woman appointed as referee for an English Football League match, leading a team of officials in the League Two game between Harrogate Town and Port Vale.
In 2010, Amy Fearn broke ground as the first female referee in the EFL when she replaced Tony Bates due to injury for the final 20 minutes of a match between Coventry and Nottingham Forest.
Welch’s accomplishments have also been acknowledged internationally. In December 2020, she was included in FIFA’s elite list of international match officials before officiating at the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand the following summer.