Premier League referee Uriah Rennie dies aged 65 as tributes paid to ‘pioneer and trailblazer’
Tributes paid to Premier League’s ‘trailblazer’ referee Uriah Rennie
- Uriah Rennie, the first black referee in the Premier League, has died at the age of 65.
- Rennie officiated over 300 top-flight matches, starting in August 1997 with a game between Derby and Wimbledon.
- The Sheffield and Hallamshire County Football Association and figures like Stan Collymore and Nigel Quashie have paid tribute to Rennie as a "pioneer" and "trailblazer."
- In April, Rennie revealed he had an inoperable neurological condition that left him in a wheelchair after experiencing severe back pain while on holiday in Turkey.
- At the time of his death, Rennie was the honorary president of Hallam FC, with Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday also paying tribute.