Image via Getty Sam Allison is set to make football history as the Premier League’s first Black referee since Uriah Rennie. Allison will officiate the match between Luton Town and Sheffield United on Boxing Day, making him the top-flight’s first Black referee in 15 years. The gap between Black match officials in England is shocking. In August, assistant referee Akil Howson became only the second Black official in Premier League history when he received a promotion to the top-flight.Allison – who previously worked as a firefighter before pursuing refereeing full-time in 2020 – is only the second in the league’s long history. When it comes to other ethnic minorities, the numbers are even lower.Bhupinder Singh Gill became the league’s first South Asian assistant referee in January. PGMOL has made efforts to diversify the beautiful game through the Elite Referee Development Plan – a scheme that focuses on improving the level of officiating and provides referees from underrepresented backgrounds the opportunity to work at the highest levels of the sport.Premier League touchlines are still predominantly white, but considering the progress that has been made in 2023 alone, English football is changing for the better.