Referee Sam Allison 'As a black man in this world there are challenges'
almost 5 years in The guardian
On the day he became the first black referee in the English league since Uriah Rennie, the 39-year-old admits that, for once, yes, he was proud
“Yeah, I’m proud,” says Sam Allison. “I’m proud of myself and I don’t usually say that. I’ve never really been great at giving myself any kind of reward, I’ve been self-critical, because I’ve always thought by praising myself I’m wasting time. But I just couldn’t hold back the jubilation when the call came through. I’m over the moon, I’m really really excited and happy.”
Allison, 39, is the latest addition to the national list of professional referees. Next season he will take charge of games in Leagues One and League Two, a far cry from the five-a-side leagues he has refereed, or the 200 or so games he’s taken charge of at county level. He will also be the only black match official in the English league system, and the first since Uriah Rennie retired more than a decade ago. Continue reading...
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