Trailblazing referee Uriah Rennie has passed away at the age of 65 after he was diagnosed with a rare neurological condition. Rennie became the Premier League’s first black referee when he took charge of a game between Derby and Wimbledon in 1997 and he went on to officiate more than 300 top-flight games.
In a statement, the FA said: “The FA Refereeing Department is saddened to hear of the passing of former FIFA and Premier League referee, Uriah Rennie. Uriah will forever be remembered as a true trailblazer of the game. Our thoughts are with Uriah’s family and friends at this time.”
Earlier this year, Rennie spoke out about having to learn to walk again after he was left paralysed from the waist down while on holiday in Turkey. “I thought I had just slept funny on a sun lounger, I was hoping to go paragliding but because of my backache I couldn’t go,” Rennie told the BBC.
“By the end of the holiday I couldn’t sleep a wink from the pain, and by the time I got home I could barely walk. I spent a month laid on my back and another four months sitting in bed.
“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.”