Officiating the match between Sheffield United and Luton Town today, Sam Allison is set to become the first black referee in the Premier League in 15 years.
This milestone will also mark his status as only the second black referee in the history of the Premier League. Uriah Rennie was the last black referee in the top-flight back in 2008.
Sam Allison had previously made history in 2020 as the first black official in English football’s top four divisions. Following a promotion, he started officiating in the Championship at the beginning of the 2023-24 season.
His debut as a fourth official in the Premier League was during Brighton’s 4-1 victory over Chelsea in October 2022. Now, he has the opportunity to referee a top-flight game.
BAMRef, an organization supporting black, Asian, and mixed heritage referees, expressed its support for this appointment, stating, ‘We welcome this appointment as it signifies a positive step towards greater diversity and inclusion within refereeing and football.’
‘It is also the culmination of years of hard work by BAMRef members. We hope to work with Howard Webb, the Professional Game Match Officials Board chief, to identify and advance more black officials to the top flight,’ the organization added.