Massey-Ellis Retires to Lead FA Women Referees Development
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- Sian Massey-Ellis retired from officiating at 40 to become the FA's Senior Manager - Women Referees from September, with a remit to support and develop female officials across the country and provide a pathway into the elite game.
- Massey-Ellis became only the second female assistant referee in the Premier League on her 2010 top-flight debut and has since officiated more than 150 Premier League matches.
- Massey-Ellis holds a string of firsts: five Women's FA Cup finals, the first female assistant referee appointed to the Community Shield, and in 2021 the first woman involved in a men's FA Cup final as an assistant VAR.
- Massey-Ellis also worked as AVAR at the 2025 Carabao Cup final, and on the international stage officiated four Women's European Championships, two Women's World Cups, and the 2018 Women's Champions League final.
- Massey-Ellis became the first English woman to officiate a men's European fixture in 2019, serving as assistant referee in a Europa League match, and received an MBE for services to football.
- Howard Webb, the FA's Chief Refereeing Officer, described Massey-Ellis as a "powerhouse" whose impact on female officiating "will be felt for years to come."
Why it matters: The FA is placing the development of its women-officiating pipeline in the hands of an official who has repeatedly broken barriers in the men's game — most recently as AVAR at the 2025 Carabao Cup final. From September, Massey-Ellis's mandate is to create a clearer pathway into elite officiating, an area where English football has historically had thin female representation.
