Wendy Toms

Wendy Toms (born 16 October 1962) is an English former football referee from Broadstone, Dorset who has officiated in the Football League and then the Premier League, both as an assistant referee. She was the first female ever to fulfil such roles at those levels. She also served for FIFA on the women's international list. Her other occupation is as a parcel post manager.

Career

Toms took up refereeing in the late 1980s, and progressed to become a reserve (now "fourth") official in the Football League in 1991 for the Bournemouth versus Reading match in the old Third Division, which was then unique for a female. She was the first woman to be included on the list of Football League assistant referees when she was chosen for the 1994-95 season, and became a referee in the Football Conference two seasons later, creating another precedent when she took charge of the game between Kidderminster and Nuneaton Borough her first Conference match as referee. Almost a year after that, she operated as an assistant referee in the Premier League, again, the first female ever to do so.