Premier League’s first female referee Wendy Toms talks on abuse she received during games: “Every game I went to was a battle”

As the Premier League gears up to make Rebecca Welch the first ever female main referee in a men’s game, it is important to note how the opposite gender fared as an official last time out.

Wendy Toms is an English retired football match official who worked as an assistant referee in both the Football League and the Premier League. She served on FIFA’s women’s international list and was the first woman to hold such positions at that level. And now she has come out to talk about the verbal slurs and abuse that she faced during her time as a match official.

Wendy Toms talks on difficulties of being a female ref

Wendy Toms underwent a refereeing course in Cyprus in 1984, when her then-husband Paul was in the RAF, as she went up from the county level to the football league level and then eventually to the top division after returning to Dorset.

Currently, she is helping the next generation of female referees prepare to live their dreams and is teaching UEFA’s next batch of referees. However, she has recently opened up about the problems a female referee has to face in the men’s game.

In a recent interview, she mentioned an instance where she had to be looked out by a security guard to keep her safe on the line. She recalled the security guard saying, “Look, we’re going to put someone following Wendy on and off the pitch. They will be behind her, just to make sure she’s OK”. That is when Wendy realized the danger of being a female referee. 

She recalled many other instances, how she was referred to as ‘Mr. Toms’, and when she said she was a linesman, how someone responded “Oh no you’re not, the catering is around the corner”. 

Wendy Toms speaks on being insulted by colleagues and commentators

Wendy Toms has also spoken up about how even colleagues and commentators abused her, making her mentally tired and thinking every game to be “a battle”.

Wendy Toms has also responded to the vile remarks made against her in the 2011 sexism controversy that resulted in Andy Gray’s sacking from Sky Sports. Grey labeled Toms ‘f***ing hopeless’ in a leaked studio chat, after which his co-commentator at that moment Richard Keys resigned, and Grey was terminated.

Keys was heard commenting on female referee Sian Massey-Ellis, “Somebody better get down there and explain offside to her”, to which Gray replied, “Yeah, I know. Can you believe that? Female linesman, they probably don’t know the offside rule.”

Do you think more female referees should be added to PGMOL’s list for the season to nurture them for bigger tournaments? Let us know your opinion via comments.