Back to the Burnley Clarets Newsfeed

Rebecca Welch's appointment as the Premier League's first female referee is a GIANT stride forward for the top flight... she could not have imagined becoming a trailblazer when officiating in the Wearside League

Rebecca Welch cannot have imagined in her wildest dreams that she would some day become a trailblazer.

Not when she was juggling refereeing while working for the NHS. Not when she was spending her Sundays on boggy pitches in Sunderland. Not when running the line for Coxhoe Athletic versus Redcar Athletic in the Wearside League.

Yet a week on Saturday, what was once a hobby will form a part of Premier League history when she becomes the first woman to referee a game in the most demanding division in world football.