By Richard Beale……
Unbeknown to me when I was watching the Gecitkale/ Valdili football match last Sunday history for the TRNC Football Federation was being made.
It’s the first time ever that a woman has refereed a football match – SABRİYE ATİKOĞLU (26), has been running the lines of the AKSA Super League and AKSA League 1 for a number of seasons, She is not alone in that role as several women are Linespersons but this was the first time a woman was allowed to take charge in the middle.
I thought she had a pretty good game as well, making, on the whole, the correct decisions and what I liked playing the advantage rule to good effect. When there was a scuffle during the match she handled the situation cooly, handing out the equivalent punishment as she thought fit.
When there was some “argy bargy” – Sabriye was soon handing out the cards!
I am sure in the future we shall see Sabriye in charge of many more matches and hopefully see some of her fellow compatriots as well.
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