Assistant referee Massey-Ellis retires to take FA role

What the report says

Assistant referee Sian Massey-Ellis has ended her on-field officiating career and will move into a senior Football Association role aimed at supporting and developing female officials, BBC Sport reports. The announcement marks a transition rather than a full departure from football, with Massey-Ellis saying she expects to remain involved in the game in a different capacity.

BBC Sport says Massey-Ellis officiated in more than 150 Premier League matches and became one of the most prominent figures in English refereeing. She rose to the Premier League in 2010 as only the second woman to work as an assistant referee in the competition. Her career also included several notable firsts, including becoming the first Englishwoman to officiate in a men’s European fixture and the first woman to work as an assistant referee in a men’s FA Cup final.

The report adds that she represented England at four UEFA Women’s Euros and at the 2019 and 2023 Women’s World Cups, and that she was awarded an MBE in the 2017 New Year Honours for her contribution to officiating and representation in football. Her new FA post is focused on helping the next generation of match officials, particularly women, as part of wider efforts to broaden access and visibility in the sport.