As a woman refereeing soccer you have it tough. Female assistant referee Sian Massey has turned into one of Britain’s youngest professional officials on merit. This includes females and males and proves those that have accused her of not understanding the offside rule wrong. According to Ian Blanchard, who is the FA’s Senior National Game Refereeing Manager, Massey needs to be promoted to the Premier League. She is dedicated, works hard and is fully able to serve as a referee in one of the best soccer leagues of the world.
When he was asked if he thought that Massey had been fast-tracked as a token gesture, he denied that accusation firmly. “Absolutely not,” he said. “Sian has been through the same procedure as any man would have to go through, as well as proving herself a top-class international assistant referee. She has worked hard on her fitness, her key skills and she has been patient since she started refereeing 10 years ago.” Accusations and doubts came up after her call in the Wolves-Liverpool game. Her decision was shown to be correct, which lead to Blanchard’s trust and admiration. “Sian epitomizes the quality of officials we’re looking to produce.”
