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Akil Howson has been promoted to the Premier League, making him the top-flight’s first Black referee in 15 years since Uriah Rennie.

Howson is one of 14 officials in PGMOL’s Development Group that was formed last summer. The Development Group is part of the Elite Referee Development Plan, and consists of highly skilled officials with the potential to succeed at the highest levels of the game with 30 percent of the group’s 28 being of Black, Asian or mixed heritage.

Howson was a regular in the Championship last season, but the assistant referee’s move to the Premier League hasn’t only given him a place in the EFL top-flight but the league’s history books as only the second-ever Black official in the Prem.

PGMOL boss Howard Webb has expressed his dedication to making English football more diverse outside of team rosters. Though underrepresented groups are more common on the pitch nowadays, match officials, managers, and other roles in the sport remain largely white. Howson’s promotion is the first step in changing that narrative, once and for all.

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