Massey-Ellis retires from refereeing for FA role
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- Sian Massey-Ellis is retiring from officiating to take a senior manager role at the Football Association focused on supporting and developing female match officials.
- Massey-Ellis officiated in more than 150 Premier League matches after becoming only the second woman to join the Premier League's assistant referee roster in 2010.
- Massey-Ellis was the first Englishwoman to officiate a men's European fixture and the first woman to officiate a men's FA Cup final, and she was involved in five Women's FA Cup finals.
- Massey-Ellis represented England at four UEFA Women's Euro tournaments plus the 2019 and 2023 FIFA Women's World Cups, and received an MBE in the 2017 New Year's Honours.
- The 40-year-old Massey-Ellis said she is 'not stepping away from football' and wants her career to help 'change perceptions, open doors or inspire' young officials.
Why it matters: Massey-Ellis moves from breaking barriers on the pitch to shaping the pipeline behind the touchline, handing the FA a high-profile figurehead to grow female officiating ranks at a time when the Women's World Cup and Euro tournaments she worked are expanding their visibility.
