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Rebecca Welch to become first female Premier League referee in history

The festive fixtures will also serve as significant milestones for English football.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 14th December 2023

The Premier League is set to appoint its first female referee in history this month as English Football League official Rebecca Welch will take charge in the top flight for the very first time.

Rebecca Welch has been refereeing in the EFL since 2021, having first officiated a League Two match between Harrogate Town and Port Vale before working her way up the football pyramid.

Now, as per an announcement by the Premier League, the 40-year-old will be overseeing Fulham vs Burnley on Saturday, December 23, becoming the first woman to ever be appointed as the first official for a first-division game.

Welch also became the first female to referee an FA Cup fixture back in January 2022 and was the first woman to serve as a fourth official Welch was also appointed as the fourth official for Manchester United's 1-0 win over Fulham this past November.

https://twitter.com/SkySportsNews/status/1735334257017458740

Regularly operating in the WSL and having been part of the officiating team for the 2023 Women's World Cup, Welch has been growing a reputation across the beautiful game and it seems as though it was only a matter of time before she was assigned to a Premier League round.

Refereeing colleague Sam Allison is also set to become the first Black official to take charge of a Prem game in over a decade and a half on Boxing Day when Sheffield United take on Luton Town, the last being Uriah Rennie in a game between Liverpool and Spurs back in May 2008.

The lack of diversity, both in gender and race, in refereeing seen throughout English football has remained a pressing issue among many fans and advocates within the sport for years and now this latest announcement comes as a welcome step in the right direction.

Speaking on the decision this Thursday, refereeing veteran and PGMOL chief Howard Webb said the league has been attempting to "fast-tracking talented officials" through their training programme and labelled both of the appointments as "really well deserved".

https://twitter.com/SkySportsNews/status/1735352087708373136

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Unfortunately, with the way latent prejudices still reside in the modern game, Welch has never had it easy on her journey to this historic appointment, as it was only last month that two young male fans were arrested for 'misogynistic chanting' during Birmingham home match against Sheffield Wednesday.

While sexism and misogyny in sport and life, in general, are obviously outdated attitudes, it was concerning to see that the two individuals were just 17 years old and that there's still work to be done in educating people and rooting out those underlying issues.

Nevertheless, having qualified and well-respected officials like Welch and Allison become prominent figures, role models and leading examples in football will do wonders for the future of representation equality throughout the sporting world.

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Featured Images — Brentford FC/Premier League

News

Huge new £15m sports hub in Holbeck to be given green light by Leeds City Council

Clementine Hall Clementine Hall

The final go-ahead is expected to be given for work to start on a major new £15million sports hub in Holbeck.

Senior councillors are expected to give the approval next Wednesday 11 March at an executive board meeting.

An agreement will be made on a contractor to complete the work which will bring state-of-the-art sports pitches and a community space to the city.

Holbeck Sports Hub will provide three full-size artificial grass football pitches, two multi-use games areas and a building with changing rooms and a café.

Holbeck sports hub.
Image: Supplied

Work is expected to begin in August 2026 and is set to be built at the site of the former Matthew Murray High School.

The plan is to also provide a home to a new GP surgery as well as a children’s play area and walking and running routes through the green space which sits off Brown Lane East and Ingram Road.

Image: Supplied

Councillor Salma Arif, Leeds City Council’s executive member for adult social care, active lifestyles and culture, said: “We look forward to the work starting on the Holbeck Sports Hub, which will be a significant asset to the local community and residents in south Leeds.

“It will provide affordable and accessible quality sports pitches, providing more opportunities for physical activity and play and spaces to meet up and connect.

“We are also working towards an agreement with a GP practice so that the area can benefit from new high-quality healthcare provision to meet the needs of the community.”

The programme is joint funded by the Football Foundation and Leeds City Council capital funding.

You can read the full report here.

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Featured image - Supplied (Press photos)



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New grassroots music space aiming to make DJing and music more accessible opening in Headingley this month

Clementine Hall Clementine Hall

A new grassroots music space is opening in Headingley with a mission to make DJing, vinyl and music culture more accessible.

Meanhood Studios, founded by long-time LS6 residents Jim and Katie Young, will combine a professional DJ rehearsal studio, record shop, performance space and tuition hub all under one roof.

Their aim is simple, "to level the playing field in a scene that has often felt exclusive and gatekept.”

Meanhood started as a guerrilla pop-up record shop in lockdown when Jim started selling records from his personal collection.

Built solely on quality and word-of-mouth reputation, the venture quickly grew into a respected local record spot known for its carefully curated vinyl selection.

Images: Supplied

Jim’s roots trace back to Manchester’s late-90s free party scene, he began DJing at 17 and from Hyde Park house parties to residencies at legendary clubs, he went on to host nights featuring artists who would later become major names in UK dance music.

Katie grew up in rural Cumbria, discovering music through pirate radio, library tapes and out-of-town raves. After moving to Leeds for university, she built a 20-year corporate career while supporting events, fly-posting for club nights and working behind the scenes.

“DJing is so much more than pushing buttons,” says Jim. “You’ve got to love it when no one’s watching. We want to share that knowledge and remove some of the barriers we experienced.”

Meanhood Studios will open on Friday 13 March and will offer access to equipment, rehearsal space, vinyl records and tuition for aspiring DJs and music lovers.

It's more important now than ever to support grassroots music venues, and we can't wait to check out this new space.

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Featured images - Supplied

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