Rebecca Welch hopes to pass on her legacy to other referees

Welch has refereed at some of football’s biggest events, including the Women’s FA Cup and Champions League finals, as well as the 2022 Women’s European Championship, when the Lionesses were crowned champions on home soil.

But Welch says her proudest moment was refereeing at Wembley Stadium for the first time and seeing that become a regular feature of the women’s game.

“The Women’s FA Cup final had just started being played there, and that’s where it should be played,” Welch said.

“That was special. It will always happen.” [as a proud moment] for me. But there are many. I feel like I have grown in my career alongside the WSL.

“I was there from the beginning, so my journey has been part of that growth. We need to keep up with the growth of the WSL and, as referees, be present.”

WSL referees are not yet full-time and Welch says it is a discussion “to be had” with the Women’s Professional Leagues Limited (WPLL).

“I think that’s something that will happen in the future. The league is full-time now and has been for several years,” he added.

“While the referees are professional in everything they do, there’s still that full-time element missing. We’ll have some conversations and go from there.”

Welch’s decision to step away from officiating came as a surprise, but he admits it was “in the back of his mind” for a few months.

“I had been to Wembley, the Euros, a World Cup and I had been a referee in the Premier League and I always wanted to come out at the top of my game,” Welch said.

“I thought it would be good to finish in a major tournament and the Olympics were good.

“The position at PGMOL came at the right time, which meant I could still be involved in the growth of the WSL and the Women’s Championship in the future.”