Harrogate is the home of cream teas, sulphur springs and now, a spot of Football League trailblazing. After more than 200,000 league matches in England, a woman has finally officiated an EFL game – and the handful of assessors who witnessed 37-year-old Rebecca Welch make history on a sunny Easter Monday in North Yorkshire will have been impressed.
It may be asked how it has taken football so long to get to this point, and rightly so. But what really matters is that this moment has finally arrived, and history will remember Welch as the woman who potentially encourages a further stream of female officials to follow in her footsteps and continue to drive football forward in an area in which it has, arguably, lagged behind other sports.
Welch would have hoped for a debut as straightforward as this, with goals from David Worrall and Kurtis Guthrie helping Port Vale to a fifth successive League Two victory. In the end, there were few flashpoints for Welch to navigate, but the decisions that had to be made were made without any controversy.
Quick Guide
League One roundup: Hull open gap at the top
League One leaders Hull extended their advantage to three points with a 3-0 home win over Northampton as promotion rivals Peterborough and Sunderland drew 1-1 at London Road.
A fine strike from Callum Elder (pictured, left) set Hull on their way to a sixth victory in eight league games. Peterborough looked set to keep pace at the top after Siriki Dembele's 66th-minute strike, but Aiden McGeady equalised for Sunderland with nine minutes to go.
Portsmouth and Blackpool both won to cement their places in the play-off positions. Andy Cannon earned Pompey a 1-0 win at struggling Wigan while Jerry Yates scored twice as Blackpool extended their unbeaten run to 13 league games with a 4-1 home win over Gillingham.
Ipswich were held at bottom club Rochdale, while Accrington boosted their slim play-off hopes with a 2-1 success at Oxford. At the other end, Luke McCormick's double earned Bristol Rovers their first win in seven games as they fought back to beat Doncaster.
Wimbledon stay in the bottom four after conceding a late winner at home to Fleetwood, while John Brayford's late header earned Burton a 2-1 home win over Swindon. Shrewsbury earned a 3-0 home win over Plymouth and Mikael Mandron scored both goals as Crewe won a mid-table battle against MK Dons. PA
The success of a referee’s performance can often be measured by the reactions of the players to their key decisions. Harrogate’s uncompromising centre-back Connor Hall was Welch’s biggest nuisance, but despite his loud protestations after a half-hearted penalty appeal in the first half, there was nothing he could question about Welch’s display.
Quick Guide
League Two roundup: Tranmere into top three
Tranmere earned a draw at home to League Two leaders Cambridge, a point that moves them into the top three after Bolton's 14-game unbeaten run was ended by Newport County.
Paul Lewis (pictured) gave Rovers an early lead against his old club but Paul Mullin earned Cambridge a point on the rebound after his penalty was saved. The U's stay two points clear of Cheltenham, who were held by bottom club Grimsby. At Rodney Parade, Nicky Maynard's winner tightened the Exiles' grip on a play-off place.
Veteran striker Ian Henderson's reignited Salford's promotion hopes with a double as Forest Green slumped to their third straight defeat. At the bottom, Tom Beadling rescued a late point for Barrow against relegation rivals Colchester. Elsewhere, Port Vale won 2-0 at Harrogate, while Oldham thrashed Crawley 4-1. PA
“Very good,” was the verdict of the Harrogate manager, Simon Weaver. “Important calls were made throughout and they were the right calls. It was a thoroughly professional performance.” It is hard to disagree. Even the two yellow cards issued – to Harrogate’s George Thomson and Port Vale’s Tom Conlon – provoked little in the way of protestation.
The big question now though is: what next? On the strength of Welch’s debut, she will surely not have to wait too long to get her second appearance as an EFL referee. But perhaps more important than that is what a moment like this could do for young girls who aspire to be referees one day. This felt like a day where some long overdue barriers were broken down.
Welch has cited Sian Massey-Ellis, the first female to become a professional match official, as her own inspiration. In years to come, it could well be Welch’s name on the lips of young girls who dream of making it to the professional game.
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