Premier League's first Black referee Rennie dies aged 65
URIAH Rennie, the first Black referee in the Premier League, has died aged 65, the Sheffield and Hallamshire County Football Association said on Sunday.
Jamaican-born Rennie, who grew up in Sheffield, made history in 1997 when he refereed a Premier League match between Derby County and Wimbledon. He went on to officiate over 300 matches - including 175 games in England's top flight.
"We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of our former Chair and trailblazing referee, Uriah Rennie," the association said on social media.
"Our thoughts are with Uriah's family and friends at this difficult time."
Rennie retired in 2008 and it would be 15 years before another Black official took charge of a Premier League game, with Sam Allison officiating a match between Sheffield United and Luton Town in 2023.
In April, Rennie told the BBC he was learning to walk again after being left paralysed from the waist down by a rare condition.
"Incredibly sad to hear of the passing of referee Uriah Rennie. A pioneer, trailblazer and a bloody good ref," former England and Liverpool player Stan Collymore said on social media. "Rest in peace, Ref."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
36 minutes ago
- The Star
Soccer-Saka to feature in much-changed England team against Senegal
Soccer Football - England Press Conference - St. George's Park, Burton upon Trent, Britain - June 9, 2025 England's Bukayo Saka during a press conference Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs BURTON UPON TRENT, England (Reuters) - Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka will feature in a much-changed England team for the friendly against Senegal on Tuesday, manager Thomas Tuchel said. England laboured to a lacklustre 1-0 win over Andorra in World Cup qualifying on Saturday. "After the last (Premier League) game of the season I had a little strain," Saka told reporters on Monday. "Fair play to England, they managed me well. The manager left me out (on Saturday) and said I will play tomorrow. "I love coming to England camps and playing for England. It has been a bit of frustrating year with injuries but I am here now and looking forward to tomorrow." Tuchel was very critical of his team's "lack of urgency" after the win over Andorra which put them in command of Group K. "I protect my players, I said no names of players, it is not an individual matter," Tuchel said at the team's training base at St. George's Park. "But as a team we did not reach our standards. I felt we didn't play seriously enough in what we needed to do in a World Cup qualifier. "Why should we sugar coat it? You have been in the stadium, why should I tell you that we had a good game? No harm done. We can handle criticism." England should face a tougher test against Senegal. The African side, who lost 3-0 to England at the 2022 World Cup in the only previous match between the teams, are unbeaten in their last 23 matches across all competitions. England have won all three games under Tuchel and their last six matches in all competitions, keeping a clean sheet in each of the last five. Saka sidestepped a question about how Tuchel's managerial style compares to his predecessor Gareth Southgate. "I don't really like to compare, if I'm honest," Saka said. "Since I have come into the camp (Tuchel) has been quite demanding, quite intense on the pitch and off the pitch he's been more relaxed. "He's a nice guy, he let us enjoy ourselves and created a nice environment for all the players to enjoy." The team spent Sunday evening watching Portugal beat Spain in the Nations League final. "It was high level in the final. High-quality football," Tuchel said. "That's the benchmark, we will try to hunt that, to reach that and I'm convinced we have everything it takes to match that when we play these teams." (Reporting by Lori Ewing, editing by Ed Osmond)
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Influx of fresh blood for Malaysia keeps Vietnam coach on guard
Coach Kim Sang-sik (right) KUALA LUMPUR: The Vietnam football squad know the significance of their next battle against a new-look Malaysia in the 2027 Asian Cup third-round qualifier and they are not leaving anything to chance. Vietnam coach Kim Sang-sik is aware of the five new mixed-heritage players in the Harimau Malaya squad as they prepare for the match at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil here on Tuesday (June 10). Sang-sik has called on his side to stay united and focused. He also acknowledged the hurdles in their path but insisted that with belief and hard work, they can make a difference. "This is the most important and difficult game in our quest to advance to the Asian Cup," said the South Korean during a pre-match press conference at the National Stadium on Monday (June 9). "We want to play as a unit and aim for points." Sang-sik admits that the Golden Dragons' preparations have been complicated by the influx of fresh blood for Malaysia. "It makes it difficult for us. We do not have much information on some of these players, but we'll assess our squad and prepare based on our plan," he said. "Football is always difficult, whether we have the information or not. The results depend on us." Despite the pressure of the occasion and the hostile atmosphere awaiting them in Bukit Jalil, Sang-sik was unfazed. "I'm a positive person, so pressure is not what I think about. The aim is the effort on the field and yes, to continue our good run against Malaysia." Sang-sik and some of his players had their confidence boosted when they featured for the Asean All-Stars in the 1-0 win over Premier League giants Manchester United in a recent friendly. Sang-sik, who was coach of the Asean All-Stars, said: "We were lucky to win because United struggled with the travelling and weather. But I'm satisfied. It was a great chance to show Southeast Asian players can move abroad and develop globally."
The Star
4 hours ago
- The Star
Soccer-Chelsea sign defender Sarr from Strasbourg
(Reuters) -French defender Mamadou Sarr has joined Chelsea from Ligue 1 side Strasbourg on an eight-year contract, the Premier League club said on Monday. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed, but British media reported that Chelsea signed Sarr in a deal worth around 14 million euros ($16 million). The 19-year-old centre back, son of former Senegal international Pape Sarr, made 28 appearances for Strasbourg after joining them from Olympique Lyonnais in August. He has represented France at Under-19 level. Strasbourg and Chelsea are part of the same multi-club ownership structure, with the French side being taken over by Todd Boehly's consortium BlueCo in 2023. Chelsea begin their Club World Cup campaign against Club Leon on June 16. ($1 = 0.8745 euros) (Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)
