Howard Webb, the chief of Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), is set to appear in court next week to confront explosive allegations from a female referee who claims the governing body destroyed her career.
The Incident That Sparked the Controversy
Lisa Benn, a 34-year-old official, alleges she was physically manhandled and threatened by former Premier League assistant referee and PGMOL coach Steve Child during a 2023 tournament arranged to provide female referees with VAR experience.
According to documents obtained by The Telegraph, Benn claims that Child, who officiated more than 300 top-flight games, grabbed her arm and dragged her on the pitch moments before the start of a men's match she was officiating.
Despite these serious allegations, a PGMOL investigation conducted later that year determined that Child's behaviour did not meet the threshold for disciplinary action. The body acknowledged that on the balance of probability there was physical contact between the pair but concluded it wasn't threatening and aggressive enough to warrant punishment.
Career Consequences and Alleged Victimisation
Benn now asserts that she faced retaliation for making the complaint, despite receiving assurances from both Webb and his wife Bibi Steinhaus-Webb - then head of women's referees at PGMOL - that this wouldn't happen.
The consequences for Benn's career were substantial. Later in the same year as her original complaint, she was not nominated for one of five FIFA places available for English referees, despite being nominated in both of the previous two years.
This omission had significant financial implications, costing Benn the £20,000 annual salary she would have earned from PGMOL through the FIFA nomination, which would have allowed her to officiate international games and UEFA matches.
Benn was allegedly told by Steinhaus-Webb that she could regain her nomination the following year as part of a more holistic approach. However, she was overlooked again for the FIFA nomination in 2023-24, despite being ranked second on a list of Women's Super League officials.
Professional Decline and Legal Action
The impact on Benn's career has been dramatic. Since 2023, she has refereed just 15 WSL fixtures - with none this season - despite previously being regarded as one of the most respected officials in the division.
This professional decline led Benn to become self-employed at the start of 2024, relying solely on match fees rather than the secured income she previously enjoyed.
Benn has now filed a comprehensive legal complaint seeking compensation for:unfair dismissal, direct discrimination, harassment, victimisation, wrongful dismissal and unlawful deduction of wages.
The PGMOL reportedly denies all of Benn's claims, setting the stage for a contentious court battle that could have significant implications for the organisation.
The case unfolds against the backdrop of Webb and his wife's prominent positions in football officiating. The couple, married in 2021, have been at the pinnacle of refereeing for approximately 15 years, with Webb taking charge of the 2010 World Cup final and Steinhaus-Webb officiating the women's final a year later.
Steinhaus-Webb held the top refereeing role in women's football at PGMOL from 2021 before moving to FIFA, where she currently serves as head of women's refereeing. Speculation suggests Webb might eventually join her at FIFA when current referees' committee chairman Pierluigi Collina departs.
