Uriah Rennie, the first black referee in the history of the Premier League, has died at the age of 65. This was announced by the Sheffield and Hallamshire County Football Association, quoted by sportal.bg.
Jamaican-born Rennie grew up in Sheffield, and in 1997 he wrote his name in the history of English football as the head referee of the Premier League match between Derby County and Wimbledon. He officiated more than 300 matches in his career, 175 of which were in the English top flight.
"We are deeply saddened by the passing of our former chairman and pioneering referee Uriah Rennie", the association said.
Rennie's refereeing career lasted until 2008, and it was not until 2023 that a new black referee appeared in the top flight of English football - Sam Allison, who will officiate the match between Sheffield United and Luton Town. In April, Rennie said in an interview with the BBC that he was trying to walk again after being paralyzed due to a rare disease.
"I am terribly saddened by the news of the passing of referee Uriah Rennie - a pioneer, a warrior and a terribly good referee. Rest in peace," wrote former football player Stan Collymur on social media.