Abigail Byrne
Abigail Byrne | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 19, 1992 Suffolk, England |
| Occupation | Professional football referee |
| Years active | 2011–present |
| Known for | Refereeing in Women's Super League, FIFA international referee since 2019 |
Abigail Byrne (born 19 April 1992) is a professional football official from Suffolk, England, affiliated with Professional Game Match Officials Limited. Since 2016, she has primarily officiated matches in the Women's Super League and has held the status of a FIFA international referee for both FIFA and UEFA since 2019.
In addition, Byrne officiates men's professional games within the English Football League and the National League.
Domestic Refereeing career
Byrne earned her refereeing qualification through the Suffolk County Football Association in 2011, completing her training at their Referees Academy based at Ipswich Town F.C. She began her officiating journey in local Sunday league matches. She holds membership with the Bury St Edmunds Referees Association and is registered concurrently with the Cambridgeshire County Football Association.
Her career advanced through the tiers of the National League System, starting in the Eastern Counties Football League during 2015–2016, then moving to the Isthmian League from 2016 to 2022. During her time there, she was honored as Referee of the Year in 2019. Subsequently, she progressed to officiate in the National League starting in 2022.
Byrne has been involved in five Women's FA Cup Finals held at Wembley Stadium, serving as the main referee in 2019 and 2024, assistant referee in 2017, and fourth official in both 2020 and 2023. Additionally, she took charge of the 2021 FA Women's League Cup final at Vicarage Road.
In a milestone achievement in 2023, Byrne became the first woman to referee Soccer Aid at Old Trafford, with team captains such as Usain Bolt and Jill Scott. She is also only the third female official to manage an English Football League fixture, overseeing the League Two match between AFC Wimbledon and Swindon Town on 26 December 2024.
International Refereeing career
Byrne was elevated to the UEFA Category 1 Referees List for the year 2022.
She officiated two matches during the 2023 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship hosted in Belgium.
At the 2024 Sud Ladies Cup held in Avignon, France, Byrne refereed three games, including the final contested by France and Mexico. This tournament served as preparation for teams ahead of the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.
In October 2024, Byrne represented UEFA at the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in the Dominican Republic, where she refereed three matches including both the opening fixture and a quarter-final. This competition trialed Football video support as an alternative system to VAR (Video assistant referee).
Personal life
Byrne attended Mildenhall College Academy located in Mildenhall, Suffolk, where she was a contemporary of English international cricketer Tymal Mills.
Her brother, Adam Marriott, is a professional footballer who has played for clubs such as Cambridge United F.C., Stevenage F.C., and Lincoln City F.C..
In 2017, she married George Byrne, who serves as a Select Group 2 assistant referee active within the EFL Championship.