Championship - First female referee takes charge

Eurosport - Wed, 10 Feb 11:29:00 2010

Amy Fearn has become the first woman to referee a league match by taking charge for the final 20 minutes of Coventry's 1-0 home win over Nottingham Forest in the Championship.

2009-2010 Referee Amy Fearn sharper - 0

Original referee Tony Bates collapsed with a calf strain in the 71 minute and called assistant Fearn into action after deciding he was unable to continue.

The final 12 minutes of the match passed without incident despite there being six minutes of injury time added on.

Wendy Toms was the first female official in the Football League when she started working as a fourth official in the early 1990s.

Toms drew criticism two years later from then Coventry boss Gordon, who claimed that football was "getting PC decisions about promoting ladies".

Toms also officiated games in the Premier League, again as an assistant referee, with her highest profile match being the League Cup final between Leicester City and Tranmere in 2000.

Eurosport

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