In a significant case that has sent ripples through the world of football officiating, Women's Super League referee Lisa Benn has made serious allegations of physical contact and gender-based discrimination at a London employment tribunal. Benn claims she was effectively sidelined from her international role after reporting an incident involving a senior referee coach.
The Pivotal Incident and Allegations
The controversy stems from an event that took place in March 2023 during a tournament organized by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), which focused on video assistant referee (VAR) training. According to Benn's testimony, after a delay caused by an injury, referee coach Steve Child grabbed her arm and pushed her onto the pitch to start an under-19s game.
Benn stated that during the match, Child instructed a fourth official to tell her to "kill the game." She responded defiantly, saying, "don't tell me how to referee" and used an expletive towards him. Emphasizing her professional standing, Benn told the tribunal, "I am a trusted referee, I referee at the highest level - this was an under-19s game." She firmly believes the coach's actions were gendered, asserting, "He felt superior, he felt like he could come on and tell me how to referee, he manhandled me on to the field of play - he would never have done that to a male referee."
Aftermath and Claims of Retaliation
The situation escalated after the final whistle. Benn claims that Steve Child approached her again, grabbed her arm, and ominously stated, "your card has been marked." She described him as being so angry that "his eyes were bulging out of his head." When Benn formally complained about this conduct, she alleges the PGMOL's response was retaliatory.
She testified that despite receiving assurances from PGMOL's chief refereeing officer Howard Webb and his wife, Bibiana Steinhaus-Webb (then head of women's referees), that she would face no backlash, the organization subsequently reduced its support for her. Crucially, she claims the PGMOL gave her lower recommendations after she raised the issue. This downgrade, she argues, directly led to her losing a prestigious position on FIFA's international referee list, a significant blow to her career.
Contested Accounts and Ongoing Proceedings
The PGMOL's defense, presented by representative Jesse Crozier, offered a different perspective. Crozier suggested that Child may have simply "guided" Benn to the pitch and questioned why no one else witnessed the alleged aggressive manhandling if it occurred in a crowded training tournament. However, Benn firmly rejected this characterization of events.
Adding weight to her claims of a biased environment, Benn informed the tribunal that she had witnessed Child behave in a similar manner towards other female referees, but not male officials. An internal PGMOL investigation had previously concluded that Child's actions did not warrant disciplinary measures. The employment tribunal is currently ongoing to adjudicate these serious claims.
