Uriah Rennie, the first black PL referee passes away following a prolonged battle with rare neurological condition.
Uriah Rennie, first black referee in Premier League, dies aged 65.
The first black Premier League referee, Uriah Rennie, passed away at the age of 65. Born in Jamaica, the official grew up in Sheffield and managed almost 300 Premier League games before making his debut in August 1997 when Derby hosted Wimbledon. However, the game was dropped because the floodlights didn’t work.
The Sheffield and Hallamshire County Football Association posted on X: “We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of our former chair and trailblazing referee, Uriah Rennie. Uriah made history as the Premier League’s first black referee, officiating over 300 top-flight matches between 1997 and 2008. He broke down barriers, shaped our football community and inspired generations to come. Our thoughts are with Uriah’s family and friends at this difficult time.”
In 2000, Rennie entered the elite group of professionals and was designated as a FIFA referee the following year. While on vacation in Turkey last year, he experienced excruciating back pain. Doctors determined that he had an incurable neurological ailment that left him wheelchair-bound, he told BBC News in April.
“I spent a month laid on my back and another four months sitting in bed,” he said. “They kept me in hospital until February, they found a nodule pushing on my spine and it was a rare neurological condition so it’s not something they can operate on.”
The former Liverpool and Nottingham Forest striker Stan Collymore posted on X: “Incredibly sad to hear of the passing of referee Uriah Rennie. A pioneer, trailblazer and a bloody good ref. Rest in peace, ref.”
At the time of his passing, Rennie served as the honorary president of Sheffield’s Hallam FC. Sheffield United and Wednesday both offered their respects to the referee, stating that their “thoughts are with his friends and family at this time.”