View source for Amy Fearn

{{Short description|English football referee}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox football official
| image = Amy Rayner (cropped).JPG
| name = Amy Fearn<br><small>{{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|MBE}}</small>
| fullname = Amy Elizabeth Fearn
| birth_date  = {{birth date and age|1977|11|20|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Loughborough]], England
| death_date  = 
| death_place = 
| otheroccupation = 
| years1              = 2004–
| league1             = [[Football Conference]]
| role1               = Referee
| years2              = 2005–
| league2             = [[Football League]]
| role2               = Assistant Referee
| internationalyears1 = 2004–
| confederation1      = [[FIFA International Referees List|FIFA listed]]
| internationalrole1  = Referee
}}
'''Amy Elizabeth Fearn'''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/65889468|title=King's Birthday Honours: Sarah Hunter and Ian Wright among those included|publisher=BBC Sport|date=17 June 2023|access-date=20 June 2023}}</ref> {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|MBE}} (''née'' '''Rayner'''; born 20 November 1977) is an [[England|English]] [[Association football|football]] [[Referee (association football)|referee]] from [[Loughborough]], [[Leicestershire]], who in 2010 became the first woman to referee in [[The Football League]].<ref name=Telegraph10Feb2010/> With a degree in [[economics]] and a full-time career in [[accountancy]], having also refereed football since age 14, she became only the second woman after [[Wendy Toms]] to rise to the position of assistant referee in [[Football in England|English professional football]]. On 9 February 2010, she became the first woman to act as the main referee in a [[The Football League|Football League]] match.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2010/feb/09/coventry-nottingham-forest-championship|title = Coventry City 1-0 Nottingham Forest &#124; Championship match report|website = [[TheGuardian.com]]|date = 9 February 2010}}</ref>

==Career==
[[File:Amy Fearn Lincoln v Derby.jpg|thumb|left|175px|Fearn awards a free kick]]
She grew up in [[Staffordshire]], where, as a girl, she expressed a desire to play football with her brother.<ref name="interview">[http://www.football-league.premiumtv.co.uk/page/Interviews/0,,10794~730145,00.html AMY RAYNER: "IT'S A GREAT WAY TO TAKE PART IN A GREAT SPORT"]  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061128152813/http://www.football-league.premiumtv.co.uk/page/Interviews/0%2C%2C10794~730145%2C00.html |date=28 November 2006 }} - The Official Football League website.</ref> 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 the [[Midland Football Alliance]] before being promoted to the [[Football Conference]], aged 26. Around this time, she was given responsibilities as an [[Assistant referee (association football)|assistant referee]], also being appointed to the [[FIFA]] assistants' list in 2005.<ref>[http://www.staffordshirecountyseniorleague.co.uk/39101.html Appointment as FIFA assistant] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080515114908/http://www.staffordshirecountyseniorleague.co.uk/39101.html |date=15 May 2008 }}, 2005: ''Staffordshire County Senior League'' website information page.</ref> She balances her football officiating duties with a full-time job as a [[Management Accountant]] for [[Santander Group|Santander]] in [[Leicester]]. In 2006, aged 28, she expressed a desire to move up to [[the 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 referee [[Tony Bates (referee)|Tony 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 the [[Coventry Building Society Arena|Ricoh Arena]].<ref name=Telegraph10Feb2010>{{cite news|author=  |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/championship/nottinghamforest/7203475/Amy-Fearn-first-woman-to-referee-Championship-match.html |title=Amy Fearn first woman to referee Championship match |work=The Telegraph|date=10 February 2010 |accessdate=10 February 2010 |location=London |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100214013905/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/championship/nottinghamforest/7203475/Amy-Fearn-first-woman-to-referee-Championship-match.html |archivedate=14 February 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/10022010/58/championship-first-female-referee-takes-charge.html |work = Championship | title= First female referee takes charge |publisher=Yahoo! Eurosport |accessdate=10 February 2010| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20100212170947/http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/10022010/58/championship-first-female-referee-takes-charge.html| archivedate= 12 February 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Sport/Story/STIStory_488952.html |title=First English football referee |publisher=Straitstimes.com |accessdate=10 February 2010| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20100215164528/http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Sport/Story/STIStory_488952.html| archivedate= 15 February 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref>

In 2013, she became the first woman to referee an FA Cup Game in the Main Draw.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24885560|title=Amy Fearn becomes first woman to referee FA Cup game in main draw|publisher=BBC Sport}}</ref>

Fearn was appointed [[Member of the Order of the British Empire]] (MBE) in the [[2023 Birthday Honours]] for services to association football.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=64082|supp=y|page=B19|date=17 June 2023}}</ref>

==Criticism by managers==
===Mike Newell===
In November 2006, [[Luton Town F.C|Luton Town]] manager [[Mike Newell (footballer)|Mike Newell]] made controversial comments about Fearn, then known as Amy Rayner, who was the assistant in their game against [[Queens Park Rangers F.C.|Queens Park Rangers]], which Luton lost 3–2.<ref name="soccerbase">{{cite web|url=http://www.soccerbase.com/results3.sd?gameid=501241|title=Luton Town vs. QPR|website=soccerbase.com}}</ref><ref name="bbc1">{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/luton_town/6140922.stm|title=Newell faces inquiry on 'sexism'|publisher=BBC Sport}}</ref> 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, with [[Neale Barry]] saying "English football needs more Amy Rayners".<ref name="support">{{cite web|url=http://www.thefa.com/GrassrootsNew/Referee/Postings/2006/11/BarrybacksRayner.htm|title=Full backing for Rayner|website=TheFA.com|access-date=6 July 2021|archive-date=24 December 2006|archive-url=https://archive.today/20061224214001/http://www.thefa.com/GrassrootsNew/Referee/Postings/2006/11/BarrybacksRayner.htm|url-status=bot: unknown}}</ref> 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".<ref name="apology">{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/6142974.stm|title=Newell hopes Rayner row is over|publisher=BBC Sport}}</ref> Newell was fined £6,500 and given a warning by his club.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2007/02/14/sfnlut14.xml|title=Newell fined over outburst against female official|work=The Daily Telegraph}}{{dead link|date=July 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

===Casey Stoney===
On 19 March 2021, Fearn refereed the match between [[Arsenal W.F.C.|Arsenal]] and [[Manchester United W.F.C.|Manchester United]] in the [[Women's Super League|FA WSL]], with her performance being criticised by United manager [[Casey Stoney]]. The [[BBC 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 forward [[Beth 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".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56369103|title=Arsenal Women 2–0 Man Utd Women|publisher=BBC Sport|date=19 March 2021|access-date=20 June 2023}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Soccerbase referee|1064}}
* {{Soccerway referee|amy-fearn/112152}}
* {{WorldFootball.net referee|amy-fearn}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fearn, Amy}}
[[Category:1977 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:English football referees]]
[[Category:National League (English football) referees]]
[[Category:Women association football referees]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Loughborough]]
[[Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire]]