Bury St Edmunds referee Emily Heaslip appointed to the FIFA list of referees for 2024

Suffolk official Emily Heaslip said she was ‘over the moon’ after being appointed to the FIFA list of referees for 2024.

Becoming a Women’s FIFA international referee means Heaslip, who lives in Bury St Edmunds, will be able to officiate women’s international matches.

Initially she will be Refereeing on Under-17s/Under-19s European tournaments, and full senior international fixtures on different competitions such as UEFA Women’s champions league, The Women’s Nations league, European qualifiers and World Cup qualifiers.

Heaslip said of her promotion: “I was over the moon and also a sense of relief. I actually got a text from a friend that got me all excited before I’d seen the official email.

“It’s been something I’ve wanted to achieve for quite a few years now so for it to finally happen and be confirmed has made me feel really excited for 2024.”

The 30-year-old will attend a five-day induction course at the end of this month, where all of the new referees from around the world, both males and females, come together.

“The course will consist of various practical and theory-based sessions, including a medical examination, fitness test and law exam.

“Following that, the international appointments should start to come through, exam and test results dependant,” said Heaslip.

The promotion follows on from Heaslip refereeing last season’s Vitality Women’s FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium.

Heaslip continued: “It is another very exciting step in my refereeing journey and one that I am really looking forward to.

“To represent your country/The English FA at the international stage is an honour and it will no doubt bring some amazing memories, friends for life and of course the opportunity to see the world, experiencing different cultures and ways of life, all while doing what I love. I am extremely grateful to be given this opportunity.”

Asked how the promotion compared to other achievements in her career so far, Heaslip replied: “I think all of achievements so far have their own sentimental values in their own ways, so it is difficult to compare, but of course this a huge achievement.

“They all represent the journey in different ways. To now be one of only five female officials in the whole country that referee on the Women’s international stage, still hasn’t quite sunk in yet.”