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BBC News
a day ago
- Sport
- BBC News
First black Premier League referee Rennie dies aged 65
Uriah Rennie, the Premier League's first black referee, has died aged officiated more than 300 games between 1997 and 2008, including 175 Premier League matches."We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of our former chair and trailblazing referee, Uriah Rennie," said a Sheffield & Hallamshire County Football Association statement., external"Uriah made history as the Premier League's first Black referee, officiating over 300 top-flight matches between 1997 and 2008. He broke down barriers, shaped our football community and inspired generations to come."Rennie recently revealed he was learning to walk again after a rare condition left him paralysed from the waist in Jamaica, he moved to Sheffield as a child and grew up in the Wybourn area of the started refereeing in local football in 1979 before making history in 1997 when he oversaw the top-flight match between Derby County and Wimbledon."Incredibly sad news about the passing of Uriah Rennie. A Black pioneering referee and leader in the game," said Leon Mann, co-founder of the Football Black List."We owe so much to those who push open the doors. Uriah should never, ever be forgotten."Thoughts and prayers with Uriah's family and close friends."Rennie had been a magistrate in Sheffield since 1996 and campaigned on issues including improving equality and inclusion in sport, mental health and tackling had a master's degree in business administration and law and, in November 2023, was awarded an honorary doctorate by Sheffield Hallam University for his distinguished contributions to sport and his work with South Yorkshire May, Rennie was installed as the new chancellor of the university.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Watford's Renée Hector: ‘It always helps to see somebody who looks like you'
When Renée Hector was getting the football bug as a youngster playing at Stevenage Borough Vixens, she idolised England internationals such as Alex Scott, Rachel Yankey and Anita Asante. But the only black female coach she felt she could relate to was the England manager Hope Powell. From the moment Hector moved to Watford's centre of excellence, aged 10, managing the club's women's team was her ultimate dream, inspired by Powell, and she fulfilled that ambition this season in her first year in charge of the Women's National League Premier Division side, at the age of 29. Hector's playing career was cut short at 26 by an anterior cruciate ligament injury, but she was determined to turn that into something positive and progress her coaching career faster than expected. Last month, she was recognised on 2024's Football Black List, which honours the most influential black people in the game. Hector is in elite company in a select list of five alongside the England coach Ashley Cole, Nottingham Forest's Nuno Espírito Santo, Port Vale's Darren Moore and Arsenal and England youth coach Carly Williams. Advertisement Related: 'It means everything': how Union Berlin Women completed epic journey to the top 'When I got the email I was over the moon and then when I saw the company I was with, I was a bit blown away by it. I'm really proud to be included,' she says. 'When I was growing up I guess I only had Hope to look at, to have that representation and see a role model, so for younger people [now] who potentially want to get into coaching once they stop playing just like I did, it always helps to see somebody who looks like you. 'When I was little I didn't understand really why Hope was my favourite coach or why I looked up to her but now I'm older I know it's probably because she was the only one I saw who potentially looked like me, and sometimes, as you get older, you start to understand a little bit more about how good of a coach she is, and what she's achieved.' Powell broke new ground in several ways, not only as the first woman to coach England but as the first woman to obtain the Uefa Pro Licence. Hector's career has already included a 'first' that nobody would ever want – the first case of racist abuse formally recorded in women's professional football. On 6 January 2019, after a game for Tottenham, she tweeted that she had been subjected to monkey noises mid-match by an opposing player. The then-Sheffield United forward Sophie Jones, who denied a Football Association charge of racial abuse, was subsequently banned for five games and fined £200 after being found guilty by the FA. For Hector, though, the impact lasted significantly longer than a five-game suspension. Now more than six years on from that incident, she feels it contributed to her early retirement. Advertisement 'It's probably only in the past year or so that I feel like I've moved on from that specific situation,' Hector says. 'It's definitely started to shape me, in my adult life. At the time, it was extremely difficult, not just the incident, but then all the online abuse and stuff that came after it. And if I'm being honest, it was probably a huge factor contributing to the fact I don't play football any more.' Hector helped Spurs win promotion later that season and signed for Charlton in the summer of 2019 but left within a few months. 'I didn't feel right, I didn't have that same relationship with football that I'd always had,' she says. 'I still absolutely loved football but something didn't feel right. I felt the best thing for me was to go back to Watford, a place that I can call home. I just wanted to be happy again. 'And then obviously my injury [ACL] then came and Covid was a huge factor as to why I got injured but also I think I had such a difficult time mentally. I probably made the wrong decisions, in terms of what I was eating and drinking and things like that, and then that impacts on you physically and when you're training at such an intensity you're more likely to get injured. And then now here I am [retired from playing]. 'But if I was to go back, would I change the way I dealt with it or how I responded? I really think I wouldn't. Because I've had so many messages from parents saying: 'My little girl has gone through the same thing, thank you so much for sharing your story.' So if it makes a difference for players who are going through the same thing that can help me be at peace with it a little bit. So even though it's been a tough, tough five or six years to get through how much my mental health was affected – I've had a lot of therapy since – all I can do is try to turn it into something positive, and hopefully now I can say that's something I've managed to do and I'll keep moving forward and keep speaking when I need to.' Advertisement Since hanging up her boots, Hector has worked on her coaching qualifications, firstly obtaining the Uefa B licence and now working towards her A licence at St George's Park, as part of the cohort that began the course in January. She has been the only black woman in her B and A licence classes too but says: 'If I'm honest, it feels a little bit more strange maybe being a woman on those courses, than a black woman, because they're so heavily male dominated. There is some diversity within the male candidates, so I'm not sure if I've ever thought about it in terms of being the only black woman, but I've definitely thought about it in terms of being one of only two or three women out of a cohort of about 36 people? You have to maybe work a bit harder to have your voice heard. That's probably more of a stigma than anything else.' In 2023, Hector earned a spot coaching England Under-17s, as part of the England Elite Coach Programme, after the toughest interview process of her life, having gained experience coaching Watford Under-23s. Since being appointed as Watford's senior-team manager last July, she has guided the club to a third-placed finish in the third tier, 10 points behind the champions Ipswich. Watford won 13 of their 22 league fixtures, and finished the campaign with a nine-game unbeaten run. Reflecting on getting her dream job, Hector says: 'It was amazing because I'm a Watford girl, through and through, I went through the ranks as a youngster in Watford's youth setup and had that affiliation to the club for the past 18 years or so, so I was really grateful to them, they very much were supportive and wanted to help me in terms of getting my badges and helping me progress in my coaching career. I always wanted to be the manager of Watford FC Women one day but I had no idea it would come this early – and I'm loving it.'
The Guardian
07-05-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Watford's Renée Hector: ‘It always helps to see somebody who looks like you'
W hen Renée Hector was getting the football bug as a youngster playing at Stevenage Borough Vixens, she idolised England internationals such as Alex Scott, Rachel Yankey and Anita Asante, But the only black female coach she felt she could relate to was the England manager Hope Powell. From the moment Hector moved to Watford's centre of excellence, aged 10, managing the club's women's team was her ultimate dream, inspired by Powell, and she fulfilled ambition this season in her first year in charge of the Women's National League Premier Division side, at the age of 29. Hector's playing career was cut short at 26 by an anterior cruciate ligament injury, but she was determined to turn that into something positive and progress her coaching career faster than expected. Last month, she was recognised on 2024's Football Black List, which honours the most influential black people in the game. Hector is in elite company in a select list of five alongside the England coach Ashley Cole, Nottingham Forest's Nuno Espírito Santo, Port Vale's Darren Moore and Arsenal and England youth coach Carly Williams. 'When I got the email I was over the moon and then when I saw the company I was with, I was a bit blown away by it. I'm really proud to be included,' she said. 'When I was growing up I guess I only had Hope to look at, to have that representation and see a role model, so for younger people [now] who potentially want to get into coaching once they stop playing just like I did, it always helps to see somebody who looks like you. 'When I was little I didn't understand really why Hope was my favourite coach or why I looked up to her but now I'm older I know it's probably because she was the only one I saw who potentially looked like me, and sometimes, as you get older, you start to understand a little bit more about how good of a coach she is, and what she's achieved.' Powell broke new ground in several ways, not only as the first woman to coach England but as the first woman to obtain the Uefa Pro Licence. Hector's career has already included a 'first' that nobody would ever want – the first case of racist abuse formally recorded in women's professional football. On 6 January 2019, after a game for Tottenham, she tweeted that she had been subjected to monkey noises mid-match by an opposing player. The then-Sheffield United forward Sophie Jones, who denied a Football Association charge of racial abuse, was subsequently banned for five games and fined £200 after being found guilty by the FA. For Hector, though, the impact lasted significantly longer than a five-game suspension. Now more than six years on from that incident, she feels it contributed to her early retirement. Renée Hector and Amy Makewell show off theeir Watford facepaint during the FA Girls' Football Festival in 2014. Photograph: Tony Marshall/'It's probably only in the past year or so that I feel like I've moved on from that specific situation,' Hector says. 'It's definitely started to shape me, in my adult life. At the time, it was extremely difficult, not just the incident, but then all the online abuse and stuff that came after it. And if I'm being honest, it was probably a huge factor contributing to the fact I don't play football any more.' Hector helped Spurs win promotion later that season and signed for Charlton in the summer of 2019 but left within a few months. 'I didn't feel right, I didn't have that same relationship with football that I'd always had,' she says. 'I still absolutely loved football but something didn't feel right. I felt the best thing for me was to go back to Watford, a place that I can call home. I just wanted to be happy again. 'And then obviously my injury [ACL] then came and Covid was a huge factor as to why I got injured but also I think I had such a difficult time mentally. I probably made the wrong decisions, in terms of what I was eating and drinking and things like that, and then that impacts on you physically and when you're training at such an intensity you're more likely to get injured. And then now here I am [retired from playing]. 'But if I was to go back, would I change the way I dealt with it or how I responded? I really think I wouldn't. Because I've had so many messages from parents saying: 'My little girl has gone through the same thing, thank you so much for sharing your story.' So if it makes a difference for players who are going through the same thing that can help me be at peace with it a little bit. So even though it's been a tough, tough five or six years to get through how much my mental health was affected – I've had a lot of therapy since – all I can do is try to turn it into something positive, and hopefully now I can say that's something I've managed to do and I'll keep moving forward and keep speaking when I need to.' Since hanging up her boots, Hector has worked on her coaching qualifications, firstly obtaining the Uefa B licence and now working towards her A Licence at St George's Park, as part of the cohort that began the course in January. She has been the only black woman in her B and A Licence classes too but says: 'If I'm honest, it feels a little bit more strange maybe being a woman on those courses, than a black woman, because they're so heavily male dominated. There is some diversity within the male candidates, so I'm not sure if I've ever thought about it in terms of being the only black woman, but I've definitely thought about it in terms of being one of only two or three women out of a cohort of about 36 people? You have to maybe work a bit harder to have your voice heard. That's probably more of a stigma than anything else.' In 2023, Hector earned a spot coaching England Under-17s, as part of the England Elite Coach Programme, after the toughest interview process of her life, having gained experience coaching Watford Under-23s. Since being appointed as Watford's senior-team manager last July, she has guided the club to a third-placed finish in the third tier, 10 points behind the champions Ipswich. Watford won 13 of their 22 league fixtures, and finished the campaign with a nine-game unbeaten run. skip past newsletter promotion Sign up to Moving the Goalposts No topic is too small or too big for us to cover as we deliver a twice-weekly roundup of the wonderful world of women's football Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion Reflecting on getting her dream job, Hector says: 'It was amazing because I'm a Watford girl, through and through, I went through the ranks as a youngster in Watford's youth setup and had that affiliation to the club for the past 18 years or so, so I was really grateful to them, they very much were supportive and wanted to help me in terms of getting my badges and helping me progress in my coaching career. I always wanted to be the manager of Watford FC Women one day but I had no idea it would come this early – and I'm loving it.'
The Independent
02-04-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Raheem Sterling and Richarlison named among most influential black people in British football
Raheem Sterling and Richarlison are among the Premier League representatives on the Football Black List to be recognised as the most influential black people in British football. Arsenal winger Sterling, who was awarded an MBE in 2021, has long spoken out about racism in football, especially in regard to the portrayal of black players in the media. He has also fronted anti-racism and discrimination campaigns to help promote racial equality in sport. Richarlison, meanwhile, broke down barriers last year when he openly discussed his struggles with mental health, including depression, after the World Cup. The Spurs and Brazil striker revealed how therapy 'saved his life' and encouraged others to be scared of seeking professional support. Sterling and Richarlison are joined by Aston Villa defender and England international Tyrone Mings on the five-player list, the final inclusion from the English top flight. Chelsea star Lauren James is also recognised, having become one of the leading lights in women's football, both for club and country. She makes up half of the female player contingent on the list, with QPR 's Kasha Petit similarly being named. The Football Black List doesn't only focus on players, with individuals recognised across eight different categories. This includes the coaching category, in which Nuno Espirito Santo of Nottingham Forest is included. Santo has led Forest to dizzying heights this term and are edging closer to the incredible feat of Champions League qualification, a year on from being embroiled in a relegation battle. The Portuguese manager is joined by Port Vale boss Darren Moore, as well as Chelsea icon turned England U21 assistant head coach Ashley Cole. Watford Women's manager Renee Hector Arsenal Women's U21 coach Carly Williams have similarly been recognised. Football Black List co-founder Leon Mann has hailed its importance at shining a light on black professionals in the industry, which could inspire others to get involved in the sport. "The Football Black List once again serves as a reminder of the incredible impact black communities are making in football,' Mann said. "It is also vital that while we celebrate the exceptional people on the list, we recognise the ongoing underrepresentation of black people away from playing - in the boardrooms, dugouts and leadership teams across the game. "We must take this challenge on with urgency."
BBC News
01-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Sterling and James named on Football Black List
Arsenal's Raheem Sterling and Chelsea's Lauren James have been named on a five-player list recognising the most influential black people in British Villa and England's Tyrone Mings, Tottenham and Brazil's Richarlison and QPR's Kasha Petit are also named on the Football Black List for annual celebration, which began in 2008, recognises the efforts of black figures working in various areas of the Forest head coach Nuno Espirito Santo is among the inclusions in the coaching is joined by Port Vale boss Darren Moore, England Under-21 assistant head coach Ashley Cole, Watford Women's Renee Hector and Arsenal Women's Under-21s coach Carly lists are compiled across eight categories, including an 'ones to watch' category to identify talents under 30, are decided by a panel of experts with representatives from the Premier League, Professional Footballers' Association, League Managers' Association, EFL and anti-racism group Kick It Mann, co-founder of the Football Black List, said: "The Football Black List once again serves as a reminder of the incredible impact black communities are making in football."It is also vital that while we celebrate the exceptional people on the list, we recognise the ongoing underrepresentation of black people away from playing - in the boardrooms, dugouts and leadership teams across the game. "We must take this challenge on with urgency." The full list Players:Raheem Sterling MBE - Arsenal and EnglandTyrone Mings - Aston Villa and EnglandLauren James - Chelsea and EnglandKasha Petit - QPRRicharlison - Tottenham Hotspur and Brazil Coaching and management:Nuno Espirito Santo - head coach, Nottingham ForestDarren Moore - manager, Port ValeCarly Williams - coach, Arsenal women Under-21Renee Hector - head coach, Watford womenAshley Cole - assistant head coach, England Under-21 Practitioners:Maria Tavares - first-team player wellbeing and support co-ordinator, Manchester UnitedDarren Smith - associate dean and FA course tutor, UCFBMelissa Forde - head chef, WolvesJoel Mannix - chairman, BAM RefAndre Thomas - programme co-ordinator, Tottenham Hotspur Foundation Administration:Lola Ogunbote - executive director and head of women's football, BurnleyFleur Robinson - chief executive, Burton AlbionMark Esiri - board member, Football AssociationPamela Lubowa - chief operating officer, Fare NetworkPaul Elliott CBE - vice-chair, Charlton Athletic Commercial:Liam Bowes - managing director, OYS Sports ManagementZeycan Rochelle Yildrim - chief marketing officer, SamsunsporGemma Gallais - senior director of global communications, EA SportsSola Kasali - football partnerships lead, EA SportsConnor Malcolm - founder, Dreamfruit Community and grassroots:Betty Mayaya - coach, Black Footy BabesKarla Parker - general manager and secretary, Haringey Borough Women FCChid Onokwai - founder, Chidfit Community and GrassrootsMarcia Lewis - founder, No1 Fan ClubTara Tewarie - head of programmes, Tottenham Hotspur Foundation Media: Mayowa Quadri - head of brand, VersusDarren Lewis - president, Sports Journalists AssociationCourtney Sweetman-Kirk - pundit and co-commentator, Sky SportsKate Scott - presenter, CBS SportsFemi Oridota - floor manager, Sky Sports LGBTQI+ award:Jahmal Howlett-Mundle - footballer, Sevenoaks Town FC Ugo Ehiogu Ones to Watch:Kelechi Okorie - social media editor, UefaNakeira Rori Westmaas - presenter and reporter, freelancePaul Gialo - head of academy recruitment, Stevenage FCMina Ibrahim - content creator and reporter, freelanceHelena Scotland - footballer, England women's futsal team
