Uriah Rennie, the Premier League’s first Black referee, dies at 65

By Canadian Press on June 8, 2025.

SHEFFIELD, England (AP) — Uriah Rennie, the first Black referee in the Premier League, has died. He was 65.

“We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of our former chair and trailblazing referee, Uriah Rennie,” the Sheffield and Hallamshire County Football Association posted Sunday on X.

“Uriah made history as the Premier League’s first Black referee, officiating over 300 top-flight matches between 1997 and 2008,” the statement said. “He broke down barriers, shaped our football community and inspired generations to come.”

The Jamaica-born official grew up in Sheffield, northern England, and oversaw hundreds of matches starting with his breakthrough appointment when Derby hosted Wimbledon in August 1997. That game was abandoned, however, because the stadium lighting failed.

Rennie told BBC News in April how, while on holiday in Turkey last year, he felt severe pain in his back and doctors discovered he had an inoperable neurological condition that confined him to a wheelchair.

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The Associated Press