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Glam Monitor

Who is the first Black football official?

Author

Rachel Davis

Updated on June 03, 2026

Johnny Grier, who became the first Black referee in the National Football League in 1988 and remained in that position, the top one in an officiating crew, for 16 years, died on Tuesday in Pasadena, Md. He was 74. His death was announced by his granddaughter Bryanna Grier.

How many Black referees in the Football league?

In the 2019-20 season, there was not a single Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic (BAME) referee in the Premier League. There is an approximate 2000 BAME referees out of 28,000 in the FA.

How many black referees are there?

In the Vanarama National there is one black referee, Sam Allison. The level below him, and there are just three BAME refs. A shocking disparity — given last season 33% of British players in Premier League starting line-ups were from BAME backgrounds.

Why are there no black referees?

They are being blocked because of racial bias. “Not every observer is racially biased, but the margins are so small the higher you go up the system that if just one person marks you down it's game over.”

Who is in charge of Premier League referees?

What is PGMOL responsible for? - Formed in 2001 to improve refereeing standards, the PGMOL group officiate across all the Premier League, English Football League (EFL) and Football Association (FA) Competitions. All three organisations fund it.

16 related questions found

Who is the oldest referee in the Premier League?

'It is time to move on': The Premier League's longest serving referee, Mike Dean, admits he will miss officiating in the top-flight next season but insists the time is right to hang up his whistle.

Are there any black football referees?

Out of less than 200 referees across the country's top seven divisions, just a handful are Black or Asian and only Sam Allison has made it to the referees' list for Leagues One and Two.

How many football referees are there?

American Football Referee or Official

During professional and college football, seven officials operate on the field. High school and other levels of football have other officiating systems. American football officials are commonly referred to as referees, but each has a title based on their position.

How many football referees are there in England?

How many Referees are there in England? In England each season there are c28,000 Referees who register with The Football Association, alongside c4000 people who start their refereeing journey by taking The FA Referees Course.

Where is Uriah Rennie now?

Now 62, Rennie remains very much involved in football, balancing that interest with a number of other responsibilities. “He does work for the Sheffield FA,” explains Hickson-Lovence. “He still does work observing Football League referees in England. “I first met him in 2018 and I was so struck by his presence.

How many Prem refs are there?

In June 2021, the Premier League announced four referee promotions and one assistant referee promotion ahead of the 2021–22 season. The list is composed of 22 referees and 28 assistant referees. (R)= set to retire as an on-field referee at the end of the 2021–22 season.

Who is the black NFL referee?

Johnny Grier, the first Black referee in NFL history, has passed away, NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent announced Wednesday. He was 74. Grier worked NFL games for 23 years (1981-2004), beginning as a field judge before being promoted to referee in 1988.

How much do Premier League referees make?

According to TotalSportek and Sportingfree, the salaries for EPL refs can go up to $92,000 annually. In addition to a yearly retainer that ranges between $50,700 to $55,300 and $1,500 per game. Umpires officiating international matches in the UEFA and European leagues receive up to $263,000.

What does C stand for in football referee?

The position will be called center judge -- the new official will wear a “C” on his back --and be located in the offensive backfield opposite the referee.

When was the first organized football game?

1869. Rutgers and Princeton played a college soccer football game, the first ever, November 6.

Which referee spots the ball?

On the field, the Umpire is responsible for spotting and assessing line play penalties: holding, illegal blocks, illegal contact, illegal hands to the face, etc. They also count the number of offensive players on the field.

What age can you referee football?

How old do you have to be to be a football referee? A. To become a Referee with the FA, you have to be age 14 or above. There also isn't an upper age limit but anyone working on becoming a referee will ned to be able to fully participate and be capable to keep up with the practical and physical demands of the sessions.

What is Mike Dean's salary?

Martin Atkinson, Mike Dean and Michael Oliver are currently the highest paid referees in the Premier League with a whopping £200,000 salary. The likes of Stuart Atwell, Kevin Friend and Paul Tierney earn £70,000 a year, while Craig Pawson and Graham Scott are on £48k per year.

Which referee gets paid the most?

Brad Allen and Walter Anderson are the highest-paid NFL referees for the 2020-21 season. Sarah Thomas is one of the best-paid women referees in the NFL. According to a TSM Sportz report, a women referee earns a maximum of $1.5k for an NFL match and $5k maximum if they get selected for the Super Bowl.

Who is the youngest Premier League referee?

At only 25 years of age, Michael Oliver became the youngest referee in Premier League history when he took charge of Birmingham City's clash with Blackburn Rovers in August 2010, and he has remained a top-flight official ever since.

Which referee gives the most red cards?

In terms of cards per match, Dean leads the way - and fairly comfortably too - with a resounding 4.03 cards per match. He was also the first referee to brandish 100 red cards in the Premier League, although we're not quite sure whether that's a record to be proud of.