Wendy Toms

infobox football official
name = Wendy Toms


fullname = Wendy Toms
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1962|10|16
cityofbirth = Dorset
countryofbirth = England
dateofdeath =
cityofdeath =
countryofdeath =
otheroccupation = Parcel post manager
years = 1994-1997
1996-present
1997-2005
league = Football League
Football Conference
Premier League
role = Asst. referee
Referee
Asst. referee
internationalyears = 2000-2005
confederation = FIFA listed (women)
internationalrole = Referee

Wendy Toms (born October 16 1962 [ [http://www.zerozero.eu/uk/arbitro.php?id=1198 Birthdate confirmation] : "zerozero.eu" website.] ) is an English football referee from Broadstone, Poole, Dorset, [ [http://pittsfamily.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/eastleigh170404.htm Town of residence] : confirmed in a match report at the "Pitts Family" website.] who once officiated in the Football League and then the Premier League, both as 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, [http://archive.thisishampshire.net/2004/9/23/22358.html Referee since late 1980s] , plus other career information: "ThisIsHampshire.net" website.] 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, [http://web.ukonline.co.uk/m.gratton/Names/Wendy.htm Date of first Conference match as referee] , August 31 1996 (also list of her other "firsts"): M. Gratton's "Ladies First" website.] creating another precedent when she took charge of the game between Woking and Telford United [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19960902/ai_n14055031 Woking v. Telford] , first Conference match as referee, 1996 (also other occupation): article at The Independent website, via the "FindArticles" service.] on August 31 1996, which finished 0-0. [ [http://www.statto.com/database/results.php?date=1996-08-31 Scoreline confirmation (0-0)] , Woking v. Telford, 1996: "Statto.com" website.] Almost a year after that, she operated as an assistant referee in the Premier League, again, the first female ever to do so.

Two years after her debut in that league, and having 'run the line' for referee Steve Dunn during Leeds United's 4-3 Premiership away win at Coventry City on September 11 1999, [ [http://www.soccerbase.com/results3.sd?gameid=269084 Match details] , Coventry v. Leeds, 1999: soccerbase.com website.] she was roundly criticised by the then Coventry manager, Gordon Strachan, who said in an interview with The Independent newspaper: "We are getting PC decisions about promoting ladies. It does not matter if they are ladies, men or Alsatian dogs. If they are not good enough to run the line they should not get the job. Saturday's was the worst assistant refereeing decision I have seen this season by far and I've said that in my report. The fourth Leeds goal was offside by at least four yards and there were numerous other bad decisions in the game. My message is don't be politically correct and promote people just for the sake of it." However, the president of the Referees' Association at the time, Peter Willis, replied: "She's a very good official...I think the situation is very sad. As a manager of a football club, Strachan is responsible for his players and he is entitled to his opinion on the performance of the officials, but to talk about the sex of the official is irrelevant." [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19990916/ai_n14252223 Gordon Strachan's criticism of Toms] , also FIFA status confirmation: article at The Independent website, via the "FindArticles" service.]

Toms' highest domestic honour was being appointed as an assistant for the Football League Cup Final between Leicester City and Tranmere at Wembley on February 27 2000, [ [http://www.soccerbase.com/results3.sd?gameid=276696 League Cup Final 2000] , match details: soccerbase.com website.] when the referee was Alan Wilkie. Leicester won this 2-1, with Toms indicating offside at one point to cause the Tranmere (and former Leicester) player David Kelly's "equalising goal" to be disallowed. [ [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20000228/ai_n14292506 League Cup Final 2000] , detailed report: article from The Independent website, via the "FindArticles" service.] She was also an assistant referee in two matches at the 2000 Olympic Games, having been selected by FIFA to operate on their women's international list.

She took charge of the UEFA Women's Cup quarter-final first leg on October 30 2003 between Brøndby IF of Denmark and Gomrukçu Baku of Azerbaijan, with the Danish side running out 9-0 winners. [ [http://www.rsssf.com/ec/ec-wom04det.html UEFA Women's Club Championship] , referee for a quarter-final in 2003: "RSSSF.com" statistical website.]

Toms refereed one match at the 2005 UEFA Women's Championship in England. This was the Group B match at Deepdale in Preston on June 6 2005, between France and Italy, which finished 3-1 to the French. [ [http://www.zerozero.eu/uk/jogo.php?id=183762 Women's Euro 2005] , referee for France v. Italy: "zerozero.eu" website.]

Although no longer officiating at the highest level, Toms still referees in the Football Conference. [ [http://observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/story/0,,2070518,00.html Still refereeing] (Football Conference 2007): Guardian Unlimited website.]

References