A female football official has testified that she was harassed and physically manhandled by a referee coach, a situation that ultimately led to her unfairly losing her international referee status. Lisa Benn, 34, who officiates in the Women’s Super League, alleged that Steve Child, a referee coach with the Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO), pushed her forcefully during a training session in March 2023. She claims his actions were influenced by her gender.
Benn’s complaints surfaced after the incident at a PGMO-organized VAR training event, where Child allegedly grabbed her arm and “forcefully pushed” her onto the pitch. She recalls the situation being tense due to the delayed match schedule and claims Child was stressed, charging around the pitch. Although Child reportedly urged her to “come on, let’s go,” Benn said his forceful push made her feel humiliated and inferior.
As the match continued, Benn found herself at odds with Child’s instructions, especially when he told her to “kill the game.” This led to an altercation where Benn used foul language in response, saying “don’t tell me how to referee” and “fuck off.” She maintains that his actions made her feel disrespected, particularly since she was an experienced referee and this was a lower-level under-19s game.
Benn also accused PGMO of retaliation after she raised the complaint, alleging that the organization deliberately downgraded her recommendations, which ultimately cost her a place on FIFA’s international referee list. Despite Benn’s claims, an internal PGMO investigation found that Child’s behavior did not warrant disciplinary action.
The tribunal has continued to hear from Benn, who contends that Child’s behavior was discriminatory, citing the fact that she had not seen him treat male referees in the same manner. She also said that despite the presence of video cameras at the event, no recordings of the incident have been provided, leaving her claims disputed.
Benn expressed her emotional distress at the event, noting that the experience left her feeling both inferior as a referee and as a human being. As the tribunal continues, her case highlights ongoing concerns regarding gender discrimination in football officiating.
