First Black EPL Referee Uriah Rennie Passes Away Aged 65

The first black Premier League referee, Uriah Rennie, has passed away aged 65, after breaking stereotypes in football officiating.

Rennie was born in Jamaica and raised in Sheffield, where he began his officiating career in non-league football in the late 1970s.

Over his career from 1997 to 2008, he managed more than 300 Premier League games, making significant contributions to the sport.

It took over 15 years after Rennie's retirement for another black referee, Sam Allison, to officiate in a top-tier match in England.

Rennie became a FIFA-listed referee in 2000 and joined an elite group of referees the following year before retiring in 2008.

He suffered from a rare neurological condition that left him wheelchair-bound and in severe pain, diagnosed after a month in the hospital.

Despite his health challenges, Rennie remained hopeful about his ability to walk again and expressed a determination to do everything possible for his recovery.

Rennie made significant contributions to the sport and community throughout his life. He started refereeing in 1979 and rose to officiate in the Northern Premier League by 1994, later joining the Football League list.

Rennie became the first black referee in the Premier League when he officiated a match on 13 August 1997, which was abandoned due to floodlight failure.

In 2000, he achieved the status of a FIFA referee and was recognized for his fitness by the head of the Professional Game Match Officials Board.

After retiring from the FIFA list in 2004 at the age of 45, he resumed refereeing in 2007. Outside of football, Rennie held a master's degree in business administration and law, served as a magistrate, and practiced martial arts.

He served as president of Hallam F.C. beginning in September 2010 and appeared on TV shows, including a BBC drama and an ITV game show.

In November 2023, he received an honorary doctorate from Sheffield Hallam University for community service and was announced as the university's new chancellor in November 2024.

In April 2025, he faced health challenges due to paralysis from the waist down but courageously shared his journey of relearning to walk.

Uriah Rennie passed away on June 8, 2025, with his legacy remembered by the Sheffield & Hallamshire County Football Association.

He was born on October 23, 1959 in Jamaica and moved to Sheffield, England, at the age of six.