Fans want to know what’s going on – Rebecca Welch backs in-stadia VAR explainers
Welch was speaking at an event in east London on Monday evening, celebrating her induction to the WSL Hall of Fame.
In-stadium VAR explainers may feel foreign to officials but the benefit for fans is clear, according to trailblazing retired referee Rebecca Welch.
Welch became the first woman to referee a Premier League match when she oversaw Fulham v Burnley in December 2023, and her CV also boasts a pioneering EFL credit and extensive experience in the women’s game.
Last Wednesday, Stuart Attwell made history of his own during Tottenham’s 1-0 victory over Liverpool, becoming the first referee to explain a VAR decision NFL-style inside an English football stadium as part of a trial during the remainder of this season’s Carabao Cup.
“The announcements coming in, that’s not new to me because we were part of it at the (Women’s) World Cup,” Welch said.
“When it came in it was a little bit daunting, because as a referee we sell everything with our body language, we never used to have to sell stuff with our mouths.
“So that was quite interesting to try at the World Cup. But listen, I think if you’re in a stadium, I’ve been in stadiums where sometimes, if a check takes long, you want to know what’s going on.
“Stuart did the first one the other night, and I think it’s been received quite well. His announcement was very clear, concise and to the point.”
Welch was speaking at an event in east London on Monday evening, celebrating her induction to the Women’s Super League Hall of Fame alongside Alex Scott, Steph Houghton and Gilly Flaherty.
The 41-year-old is the first referee to be inducted, the latest entry in her list of way-paving accomplishments that also includes being the first woman to referee an EFL match and the first female fourth official in a Premier League game.
Welch’s experience in the women’s game includes the 2022 women’s Euros, the 2023 Women’s World Cup and the 2024 Women’s Champions League final.
She announced her retirement after the Paris 2024 Olympics after serving as the fourth official for the women’s gold medal match.
Progress can manifest in unexpected ways – like, perhaps, the treatment Welch received during her second Premier League match in charge.
Welch said: “It’s interesting, because I think especially in the men’s game people said, ‘Oh, Bex had more of a hard time because she was a female ref’. I actually found it the opposite.
“In the male game, I didn’t get half of what the boys did. So it’s funny, isn’t it, how perception comes in?
“You’re going to have fans who boo you and disagree with your decisions, but that never had anything to do with the fact that I was a woman. It was the fact that I’d given a decision against their team.
Welch retired four and a half months ago, wanting to “write (her) own narrative”, and took up a new managerial role with Professional Game Match Officials Limited, overseeing the support and development of officials in the women’s game.
And while she is only gradually beginning to accept her own significant impact, the evidence of it was clear at Monday evening’s event, with the London decor including tributes to Welch by other female officials.
“One of my aims within this role is to make people not talk about me,” Welch added.
“I’m sick of people talking about me, if I’m honest. We have girls coming through who are good, if not better than me. They’ve got a lot of support behind them.
“So yeah, definitely, Rebecca Welch will be a thing of the past, hopefully after tonight!”
