Official Kicks: Emma Guest

The Official Kicks slot profiles Emma Guest, a Level 5 referee from Romford in Essex who has been officiating for eight seasons and mainly takes men’s premier games. She started out as a bet and is glad she won it, wishes she had picked up the whistle sooner, and rates her local Referees’ Association highly for support, advice and the banter on the WhatsApp group. She studies Michael Oliver for positioning and Mike Dean for game management, and says the best part is being part of the game and giving something back. She is direct about needing a thick skin and empathy in equal measure, recalling recent abuse from a male player for being a woman while insisting such incidents are rare, and urges other women to be confident and give it a go.