Official Kicks: Laura Griffiths

Laura Griffiths, twenty-two, from Bangor in North Wales and a former Llandudno Junction Ladies player, took up refereeing on a team-mate’s suggestion after a knee injury. She works as a Reablement Support Worker for a local authority whose support makes the travel and training possible, and runs the line in men’s games in the Huws Gray Alliance and Welsh Alliance League as well as in the Welsh Women’s Premier League on Sundays. Her highlight so far is her first women’s international friendly, Wales against Slovakia at Nantporth in Bangor, along with UEFA mini-tournaments in Wales. She recounts a mid-winter heckle telling her she should be by the fire with a cup of tea, and urges more women to take up the whistle.