Claiming to be treated unfairly! Telegraph: English Women s Super League referee sues referee company, Webber will testify in court

The Telegraph reported that Lisa Benn, a referee of the English Women's Super League WSL, has filed a lawsuit against the professional game referee company PGMOL, accusing it of "unfair dismissal" and "retaliation." PGMOL's chief referee Howard Webber will appear in court to testify next week.

Ben’s core accusation stems from an incident in 2023. She claimed that PGMOL coach and former Premier League assistant referee Steve Child was "physically rough and threatening" to her during a match. According to court documents, Ben claimed that Child "grabbed her by the arm and dragged her to the court" and warned her "your future is on the line" during the ensuing confrontation. Ben admitted to telling Childs to "fuck off" during the argument.

Although PGMOL's internal investigation determined that Child's behavior did not meet the disciplinary criteria for being "threatening or offensive," Ben alleges that she was retaliated against.

Ben said that although Weber and his wife, Bibi Steinhaus-Weber, who worked at PGMOL at the time, had "assured" her that there would be no punishment for complaining, she subsequently lost everything.

The key "retaliation" evidence is: Ben lost her valuable FIFA referee seat, and the accompanying PGMOL salary of 20,000 pounds per year. In December 2023, despite being ranked fifth among WSL referees, the FA submitted 6 names to compete for 5 FIFA seats and Ben was ranked sixth. In the 2023-24 season, Benn's ranking rose to second place, but even after a referee retired and the spot was vacated, she was still not nominated for the second consecutive year.

Since then, Ben's law enforcement opportunities have dropped sharply, and he has not been assigned to any WSL games this season so far. Her claim covers discrimination, harassment, unfair dismissal and unlawful deduction of wages. PGMOL completely denies all accusations.

The case also brought the Webers into the spotlight. They are regarded as "the most powerful couple in refereeing". Bibi Steinhaus-Weber is now FIFA's head of women's refereeing, while Webber is seen as a potential successor to Pierluigi Collina, president of the FIFA Referees Committee.