Last week I wrote that May signified the end of the footballing season, which is how we see it in the country. At the other side of the world, it is naturally quite different.
My two grandsons in Australia are at present in training for the start of their respective sports, one for football and the other for rugby.
And of course, this year there is a top football tournament in the middle of our summer but their winter down under. The FIFA Woman’s World Cup, which is being shared between Australia and New Zealand is taking place from Wednesday, July 26 until Sunday, August 20.
There will be thirty-two nations taking part, the largest number ever for a Women’s World Cup with four teams in each of eight groups.
In England’s group will be Haiti, Denmark (previous winners) and China. Sadly, Reading born and bred Fran Kirby, will not be in the England squad this time, having to have an operation on an injury.
It’s not just woman players who have increased but so have women referees. I still remember the Saturday that I went along to observe Reading’s very first woman referee, Wendy Prior, refereeing a game in the local Reading men’s league and was amazed at her control of the match.
Earlier this season I was asked by an established referee if I would mentor one of his matches as he was seeking to gain promotion. One of his assistant referees was a young woman referee, who I could also watch from the stand, and I congratulated her after the game for an excellent professional performance.
I have to say that when watching the Woman’s Super League on television, I am impressed by the refereeing.
There will be two English match officials at this Woman’s World Cup. In the middle will be Rebecca Welch, already an elite FIFA referee. I had the pleasure of listening to her a couple of years ago, talking about her refereeing in her broad Geordie accent.
Not surprising, as she comes from a football mad family in Sunderland. She has since become the first woman referee to be appointed to referee a Football League match. We may even see her at Reading in the coming season as she has refereed in League 1.
The other English official is Sian Massey-Ellis who has been running the line on the Premier League for over a decade and in my opinion is their best Assistant referee, so this is a well-deserved appointment.
For any young women or girls thinking of taking up refereeing, the message is simple, there is a world out there waiting for you.
By Dick Sawdon Smith
