Howard Webb due in court as PGMOL accused of 'ruining' woman referee's career

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Howard Webb will be in court next week to defend allegations against the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) for the unfair dismissal of Women's Super League (WSL) referee Lisa Benn.

The Telegraph have reported that Webb, the Chief Refereeing Officer for the PGMOL, will fight the accusation made by Benn that she was sidelined by the refereeing body. The 34-year-old made the complaint against the refereeing body and alleged that PGMOL coach and former assistant referee Steve Child "physically manhandled and threatened" her on a pitch during a men's tournament in 2023 to give VAR experience to WSL referees.

In the report, the outlet reveals that a PGMOL investigation in 2023 into Child's behaviour found that it did not meet the threshold for disciplinary action against him.

It has been said that Benn has argued that she lost her place on the FIFA list of referees and £20,000 salary from the PGMOL despite assurances from Webb and his wife, Bibi Steinhaus-Webb, who was the head of the women's referees at the body at the time and now FIFA's head of women's refereeing.

The 34-year-old has filed an unfair dismissal complaint with the case listed in the employment court on Monday where Webb is expected to give evidence on behalf of the PGMOL later in the proceedings. The PGMOL says it denies all Benn’s claims in their entirety.

Benn was not selected for one of the five available places on FIFA's list for English referees, despite ranking fifth among the top officials in the women's top-flight and being nominated by the FA on the basis of her performance in the two years prior.

The FA submitted six names to FIFA in December 2023 with Benn sixth on the list and the Telegraph have reported that the documents later revealed that Webb, who was on the FA's refereeing committee, had been party to the decision as early August of that year.

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In being involved with FIFA, Benn would be selected for games at international level and in UEFA competitions, earning her a £20,000 annual salary from the PGMOL to enable her to take time off from her job with Sussex County FA. In the absence of a role with FIFA, it has been said that she lost that salary and became self-employed at the beginning of 2024, becoming reliant on her match fees.

Benn had previously taken charge of WSL matches and in the National League South, England's sixth tier. She was also ranked top in list of referees in 2021-22 and was selected to officiate Chelsea and Manchester City in the FA Women's League Cup. Benn was reportedly told by Steinhaus-Webb that she could regain her nomination the follow year as they embarked on a "more holistic" approach and not necessarily influenced by ranking.

But by the end of the 2023-24 season, Benn finished second in the rankings but was not included in the five nominees while she then took charge of 11 games last season and none so far this term, with the campaign eight games in. If Benn is successful in her claim, she would be compensated for direct discrimination, harassment, victimisation, unfair dismissal, wrongful dismissal and unlawful deduction of wages.