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| Full name | Amy Elizabeth Fearn | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born | (1977-11-20)20 November 1977 (age 47) Loughborough, England | ||
| Domestic | |||
| Years | League | Role | |
| 2004– | Football Conference | Referee | |
| 2005– | Football League | Assistant Referee | |
| International | |||
| Years | League | Role | |
| 2004– | FIFA listed | Referee | |
Amy Elizabeth Fearn[1]MBE (néeRayner; born 20 November 1977) is anEnglishfootballreferee fromLoughborough,Leicestershire, who in 2010 became the first woman to referee inThe Football League.[2] With a degree ineconomics and a full-time career inaccountancy, having also refereed football since age 14, she became only the second woman afterWendy Toms to rise to the position of assistant referee inEnglish professional football. On 9 February 2010, she became the first woman to act as the main referee in aFootball League match.[3]
She grew up inStaffordshire, where, as a girl, she expressed a desire to play football with her brother.[4] However, she grew frustrated at the lack of opportunities to play because no girls' football facilities were available at the time. When she was 13, her father went on a course to gain a qualification as a referee, something which inspired Fearn to do the same. She qualified just after her 14th birthday. Being under 16 meant she could only referee those at under 12 level, something which she did for two years. When she became 16, the restriction was lifted, and she began refereeing in theMidland Football Alliance before being promoted to theFootball Conference, aged 26. Around this time, she was given responsibilities as anassistant referee, also being appointed to theFIFA assistants' list in 2005.[5] She balances her football officiating duties with a full-time job as aManagement Accountant forSantander inLeicester. In 2006, aged 28, she expressed a desire to move up tothe Football League.
On 9 February 2010, Fearn became the first woman to take full control of a Football League match as the match referee. The original refereeTony Bates suffered a calf strain, and Fearn, as senior assistant on the day took over for the last 20 minutes of Coventry's 1-0 Championship win over Nottingham Forest at theRicoh Arena.[2][6][7]
In 2013, she became the first woman to referee an FA Cup Game in the Main Draw.[8]
Fearn was appointedMember of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the2023 Birthday Honours for services to association football.[9]
In November 2006,Luton Town managerMike Newell made controversial comments about Fearn, then known as Amy Rayner, who was the assistant in their game againstQueens Park Rangers, which Luton lost 3–2.[10][11] Angry with the official's decision not to award Luton a penalty, Newell said "She shouldn't be here. I know that sounds sexist but I am sexist. This is not park football, so what are women doing here?". The FA promised to investigate, withNeale Barry saying "English football needs more Amy Rayners".[12] Newell later apologised, saying, "My apology to Amy Rayner, and to anyone I've offended, is unreserved. I was out of order and she has accepted it".[13] Newell was fined £6,500 and given a warning by his club.[14]
On 19 March 2021, Fearn refereed the match betweenArsenal andManchester United in theFA WSL, with her performance being criticised by United managerCasey Stoney. TheBBC Sport website reported: "Stoney believed her players -Lauren James in particular - were the victims of overly aggressive tackles by Arsenal and criticised referee Amy Fearn, who sent off Gunners forwardBeth Mead shortly after the hour mark for a second bookable offence. In an post-match interview to BT Sport, she "How you can have somebody fouled and fouled and fouled and fouled and we do nothing? I thought the referee was atrocious at best tonight and that's not an excuse for my team losing but we've got to improve the officiating in this league, we really have to because if Lauren James reacts to any of those she ends up off the pitch. She gets no protection. It's so disappointing".[15]
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