Wiltshire FA is delighted for our Referee Football Services Officer, Ella Broad, whose journey in refereeing continues at the highest level after being appointed to a forthcoming England international fixture.

On 25 February, Ella will be part of the match official team overseeing England women’s U23 fixture against France, serving as assistant referee for this international friendly at Stevenage’s Lamex Stadium.

This latest appointment follows on from a number of professional match appointments for Ella, who on Sunday 2 February was assistant referee in the Women’s Super League clash between Aston Villa and Chelsea, which was televised live on BBC Two. 

On Sunday 9 February, Ella will swap the assistants’ flag for the referees’ whistle, as she takes charge of the Adobe Women’s FA Cup fifth round tie between Rugby Borough and Liverpool. 

Simon Russell, CEO at Wiltshire FA, said: “We’re delighted to see the progress that Ella - ‘one of our own’ – is making in her referee journey, as we are with all Wiltshire referees that continue to make great strides. 

“As a county, we’re proud of the impressive track record we have with regard to match officials that have gone on to achieve appointments on a national and international stage. However, this isn’t through luck. This is through the hard work and dedication of each referee, and the investment we make in the development and training of our match officials at all levels of the game. 

“To have Ella lead this work is perfect, as she understands the unique challenges and issues faced by referees at each stage of their career, as well as providing an example of what can be achieved.”

Everyone at Wiltshire FA wishes Ella the best of luck in her coming appointments.

Never a better time to get into refereeing…

Ella’s continued progress through the referee pathway is a true testament to the possibilities open to aspiring match officials in Wiltshire, who can be enthused by being guided through their own respective journey by Ella herself in her role with Wiltshire FA.

The number of referees we have in Wiltshire is growing substantially, which is pleasing to see. 

In 2024-25, we have a total of 477 referees registered for the season.

However, it’s the fact that 122 of those referees are officials that have been training since the season started – highlighting a pleasing statistic and the fact that there’s a great enthusiasm to get into refereeing across the county.

Want to get involved?

Our next FA Referee Course takes place across two dates in February. Attendance at both dates is a must in order to complete the opening modules of the course, which is followed up by taking charge of five 11v11 or 9v9 games, ahead of call-back sessions to complete the qualification.

Every step of the way, you will be supported and mentored by the Wiltshire FA referee development team.

Course Details

Dates: Tuesday 18 February (4-7pm) and Friday 21 February (9am-4.30pm)
Venue: Wiltshire FA HQ, Green Lane, Devizes

If you’re interested in being part of this, or future FA Referee Courses, register your interest by contacting Ella at Ella.Broad@WiltshireFA.com