Breaking entrenched barriers, Sam Allison is poised to etch his name into the annals of English football as the first Black referee in the Premier League since Uriah Rennie's prestigious tenure 15 years ago. This Boxing Day, as Luton Town squares off against Sheffield United, Allison will be the adjudicator on the pitch, creating a historic Premier League moment.
The startling gap in the representation of Black match officials throughout England's football system cannot be overstated. In August of this year, Akil Howson erupted into the spotlight, becoming only the second Black official in Premier League history through a momentous promotion. Like Allison, who traded in his hose for a whistle just a few years ago in 2020, Howson embodies a significant stride in amending the lengthy narrative of the league's lack of diversity.
Moreover, representation from other racial and ethnic groups remains appallingly low, with Bhupinder Singh Gill achieving the singular position as the first South Asian assistant referee in the Premier League in January. However, the winds of change have begun to stir. The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) has initiated the Elite Referee Development Plan, a groundbreaking blueprint aimed at not just raising the bar of match officiating, but paving an inclusive and accessible path for referees from backgrounds traditionally left on the sidelines when it comes to the highest tiers of the sport.
Premier League touchlines have thus far been a monochromatic landscape, but as seen through the strides made thus far in 2023, English football is veering toward a more inclusive future. The homogeneity is slowly fading, and football in England is being introduced to a vibrant new palette. Dawn of a new era indeed for Diversity Inclusion for PGMOL Refereeing.
