W hen you think of a football referee, the words “old white male” probably come to mind – or at least they did for me. Quite frankly, it doesn’t seem like a pleasant job at first glance; you are always the first to be blamed and the last to be praised. However, my experience as a young, black and minority ethnic female referee has been largely positive, and refereeing could be the perfect counter to the phenomenon of young women dropping out of sport.
I always dreamed of a career in football growing up but, as I got older, injuries and, perhaps more accurately, a sheer lack of talent meant that a professional playing career did not materialise. When I was 16, the age that many girls lose interest in playing sports, a few of my teammates were doing the Football Association’s referee course to officiate as a weekend job. For me, the prospect of earning money in a football-related job was far more appealing than working in retail or waitressing, so I soon followed suit.
The course is fairly simple for someone who knows the game well; it consists of online modules on the laws of the game and safeguarding, two days of face-to-face training and an observation during one of five practice games. Having said that, I know referees who had no prior experience in football before completing the course and it’s a great opportunity for anyone aged 14 or over. By October 2022 I was qualified and, less than two years later, I now sit on the referee committee for Middlesex FA and a.