The woman about to make history as the first female Premier League referee is from Washington

On Saturday, 40-year-old Rebecca Welsh will become the first female referee to take charge of a Premier League game as Fulham play Burnley.

However, little did we know is that Welch is from Washington and, alongside her first career at the NHS, became a referee in 2010, beginning at the very humble level of the Sunderland Sunday league.

The news of her appointment for the game made headlines, some of course responded with ridicule and bias, but that’s not going to discourage her.

Inevitably, some will also respond with added criticism and sexism if she makes unpopular decisions, as there is a reactionary pushback from some circles about the expanded role of women in football.

But there is no legitimate reason or excuse to claim she doesn’t know the game, and to dismiss the effort that she has put into her own rise, is unfair.

For all intents and purposes, it is a historic moment, and one which will be led by a Wearside lass.