Latics are in League One action on Saturday for the first time in a month as we visit the Keepmoat Stadium to face bottom of the table Doncaster Rovers, the referee for the game will be Rebecca Welch.
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| Rebecca Welch |
This will be the first time that the Washington based official has been in charge of either a Donny or a Latics game, having only made her Football League debut last season in the Harrogate v Port Vale encounter in April 2021, making history by becoming the first female referee to officiate in any of the top four divisions.
The 38 year old official became a ref back in 2010, she started off refereeing University games and Sunday League matches before being promoted to the Women's Super League, she took charge of the both 2017 and 2020 Women's Cup Finals, as well as the Women's FA Community Shiled at Wembley in 2020.
She has also refereed 25 National League games covering three seasons, 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21.
This campaign, Rebecca has 11 games to her credit, 1 in League One, 5 League Two, 3 EFL Trophy and 2 in the FA Cup, she was in charge of the third round tie between Birmingham City and Plymouth Argyle last Saturday, dismissing Birmingham defender George Friend for picking up two yellow cards, the game finished goalless on 90 mins and went into extra time with Plymouth scoring the only goal of the match in the 107th minute.
A former NHS administrator, Welch says she never really had ambitions to become a referee in the men's game:
'It's a bit surreal because I never wanted to be a ref, that was never the plan'
'If somebody had said "in 11 years' time, you'll be on the list for EFL referees", I'd probably have just laughed at them.'
'It's a role people look at and think "why would you want to be a referee?" but actually the rewards you get out of it, it's completely changed me as a person, it's completely changed my life, for the better.
'It's kind of gone in a whirlwind. I've really enjoyed it.'
Rebecca Welch Card Watch 2021/22
Games – 11
Yellows – 31
Reds – 1
Penalty Awards - 1
Doncaster Rovers v Wigan Athletic
Referee – Rebecca Welch
Assistants – Conor Brown and Oliver Bickle
Fourth Official – Jonathon Bickerdike
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