Uriah Rennie: The Premier League’s first and last Black referee

In his football novel 'Your Show', Ashley Hickson-Lovence explores Rennie’s legacy and the shocking lack of diversity in British refereeing.

Jun 09, 2025

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This story was originally published on March 2, 2023. We have republished it in tribute to Uriah Rennie who has died, aged 65.

With the sun beating down on an emptying ground, Uriah Rennie trudged off Tottenham Hotspur's White Hart Lane turf on May 11th 2008, having blown the whistle on his final game as a Premier League referee. Almost 15 ye…

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A guest post by

Fred Garratt-Stanley

I'm a freelance writer based in London, covering music, culture, community, football, food, drink and pubs. My work has been published in The Guardian, Time Out, NME, GQ, Huck, Pellicle and more.