Tributes paid to Premier League’s ‘trailblazer’ referee Uriah Rennie

Football
9 Jun 2025 • 5:03 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

image is not available

  • Uriah Rennie, the first black referee in the Premier League, has died at the age of 65.
  • Rennie officiated over 300 top-flight matches, starting in August 1997 with a game between Derby and Wimbledon.
  • The Sheffield and Hallamshire County Football Association and figures like Stan Collymore and Nigel Quashie have paid tribute to Rennie as a "pioneer" and "trailblazer."
  • In April, Rennie revealed he had an inoperable neurological condition that left him wheelchair-bound after experiencing severe back pain while on holiday in Turkey.
  • At the time of his death, Rennie was the honorary president of Hallam FC, with Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday also paying tribute.

IN FULL