WSL referee Lisa Penn takes PGMOL to employment tribunal

A Women’s Super League referee said she lost her role as an international official after complaining that a refereeing coach “manhandled” her in a match.

Lisa Benn told a London employment tribunal on Monday that Steve Child, a professional match coach and former Premier League assistant referee, had “pushed her too hard”.

But once she lodged a complaint, she said in a witness statement that PGMOL did not recommend her as highly as it had done in the past, which cost her a place on FIFA’s international referee list.

Penn, 34, says the organization’s president of referees, Howard Webb, and his wife Bebe Stinehouse Webb – who was then women’s president of referees – told her she would not be penalized for coming forward.

PGMOL investigated the complaint but found that the child’s behavior did not meet the threshold for disciplinary action.

The alleged incident occurred during a tournament organized by PGMOL to train staff on video assistant referee (VAR) technology, which was not used in the women’s match, in March 2023, Monday’s hearing was told.

The schedule was postponed after she suffered a serious injury, when Penn claimed Child urged her to start the match immediately, grabbed her arm and “forcefully pushed” her onto the court.

The court heard that the match she officiated later became heated and Child ordered the fourth official to ask Penn to “finish the match”.

Ben responded by saying “Don’t tell me how to judge” and also directed an expletive at the child.

“I am a trusted referee, I referee at the highest level,” she told the panel. “This was an Under-19s match.”

She added: “He felt superior, and he felt like he could come and tell me how to referee. He treated me roughly on the field, and he would never do that to a male referee.”

PGMOL’s Jesse Crozier suggested, “He would put his arm behind you and lead you onto the field at the same time,” but Ben rejected that explanation.

Penn was asked if she had seen him act this way with other referees, and she said: “I have to deal with female referees, yes. I don’t have male referees.”

At the end of the game, the child grabbed her by the arm and said, “Your card has been marked.”

She added: “He was very angry and his eyes were popping out of his head.”

“If you were being dragged and grabbed and pushed on a course with dozens and dozens of people, someone would have seen it,” Crozier said, something Ben disagreed with.

The court continues.