The FA will unveil ambitious new plans to recruit and retain 1,000 new referees from diverse backgrounds in the next three years, Sky Sports News can exclusively reveal, in the hope of drastically changing the culture of grassroots football.
The landmark new FA strategy will be launched tomorrow, with the aim of encouraging more people from under-represented communities to consider getting involved in football, and refereeing.
Whilst the Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL) organises referees and assistants at the elite level, it is nonetheless supportive of this new FA initiative, in the hope that more black and South Asian referees will make it into the professional game in future.
Sam Allison is currently the highest-ranked black referee in the professional game, working in the EFL. He linked up with the highest-ranked referee from Britain's South Asian community, Sunny Singh Gill, to preside over Swindon Town's Easter Monday clash with Leyton Orient towards the end of the 2021/22 season.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
England's highest-ranked Black referee, Sam Allison, and the top referee from the South Asian community, Sunny Singh Gill, joined forces to officiate Swindon vs Leyton Orient in a landmark moment for football and refereeing.
Twitter
This content is provided by Twitter, which may be using cookies and other technologies.
To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies.
You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable Twitter cookies or to allow those cookies just once.
You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options.
Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to Twitter cookies.
To view this content you can use the button below to allow Twitter cookies for this session only.
Twitter
This content is provided by Twitter, which may be using cookies and other technologies.
To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies.
You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable Twitter cookies or to allow those cookies just once.
You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options.
Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to Twitter cookies.
To view this content you can use the button below to allow Twitter cookies for this session only.
Twitter
This content is provided by Twitter, which may be using cookies and other technologies.
To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies.
You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable Twitter cookies or to allow those cookies just once.
You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options.
Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to Twitter cookies.
To view this content you can use the button below to allow Twitter cookies for this session only.
Sunny's father, Jarnail Singh, is the first turbaned Sikh referee in the history of English league football and took charge of more than 150 games across the divisions between 2004 and 2010.
Twitter
This content is provided by Twitter, which may be using cookies and other technologies.
To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies.
You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable Twitter cookies or to allow those cookies just once.
You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options.
Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to Twitter cookies.
To view this content you can use the button below to allow Twitter cookies for this session only.
Speaking exclusively to Sky Sports News in April 2021, former World Cup final referee Howard Webb, who is now PGMOL chief refereeing officer said the Singh Gill brothers must aim for the Premier League.
"I think both Sunny and Bhups need to be aiming for the Premier League and then beyond that the FIFA international panel," Webb told Sky Sports News.
More from South Asians In Football
Twitter
This content is provided by Twitter, which may be using cookies and other technologies.
To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies.
You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable Twitter cookies or to allow those cookies just once.
You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options.
Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to Twitter cookies.
To view this content you can use the button below to allow Twitter cookies for this session only.
"It's not going to happen to everybody, but it is going to happen to some and why shouldn't it happen to these guys?
"They've already shown that they're talented. And I'm sure they'll keep working at their game."
For more stories, features and videos, visit our groundbreaking South Asians in Football page on skysports.com and South Asians in the Game blog and stay tuned to Sky Sports News and our Sky Sports digital platforms.
