Uriah Rennie

infobox football official
name = Uriah Rennie


fullname = Uriah D Rennie
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1959|10|23
cityofbirth = Sheffield, South Yorkshire
countryofbirth = England
dateofdeath =
cityofdeath =
countryofdeath =
otheroccupation = Magistrate
years = ? -1994
1994-1997
1997-
league = Northern Premier League
Football League
Premier League
role = Referee
Referee
Referee
internationalyears = 2000-2005
confederation = FIFA listed
internationalrole = Referee

Uriah D. Rennie (born 23 October 1959 [ [http://www.football-league.premiumtv.co.uk/page/RefereeProfilesDetail/0,,10794~628215,00.html Birthdate confirmation] : the Football League Official website. Retrieved on March 10 2007.] in Sheffield, South Yorkshire) is an English football referee officiating in the FA Premier League and other competitions.

Career

He began refereeing in 1979 in local leagues, then operated in the Northern Premier League until 1994, at which time he was appointed to the Football League List of referees.

He was given his first Premiership appointment on 23 August 1997, controlling the 2-0 away win by Crystal Palace at Leeds United, goals being scored by Paul Warhurst and Attilio Lombardo. [ [http://www.soccerbase.com/results3.sd?gameid=244580 First ever Premiership match] , soccerbase.com website. Retrieved on March 10 2007.]

In the year 2000, he became a FIFA referee. [ [http://www.premierleague.com/fapl.rac?command=setSelectedId&nextPage=enRefereesProfile&id=2931&type=com.fapl.website.stories.SimpleStories&categoryCode=Referees Career] , details: Premier League Official website. Retrieved on March 10 2007.]

Rennie made footballing history as the first black referee to officiate in the top tier of English football. In 2001, he joined the Select Group of professional referees. Keith Hackett, head of the Professional Game Match Officials Board has described him as "the fittest referee we have ever seen on the national and world scene."cite news | date= | url=http://www.ayup.co.uk/ref/ref1-11.html | title=Uriah Rennie's Red Card Blues| publisher=AYUP | accessdate=2007-01-20]

He refereed the 2001 (old) Football League Division One Play-off Final between Bolton Wanderers and Preston North End at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, when Bolton won 3-0 with goals from Farrelly, Ricketts and Gardner. Uriah did not show a red or yellow card at all during the match. [ [http://www.soccerbase.com/results3.sd?gameid=308258 Old Division One Play-off Final, 2001] , soccerbase.com website. Retrieved on March 10 2007.]

At the end of the 2004-05 season, he retired from the FIFA list, at the compulsory age of 45.

Like many high-profile referees in top-flight football, Rennie has attracted criticism from within the game. In November 2005, he was mentioned in a remark by a stadium announcer at a Football League Championship match between Preston North End and Crystal Palace. It was announced over the tannoy as the teams came back onto the pitch after half time: "Welcome to the second half of the Uriah Rennie show". [cite news | date=2006-11-27 | url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/lancashire/content/articles/2006/11/27/pne_referee_uriah_rennie_tannoy_feature.shtml | title=Trouble over ref dig | publisher=BBC Sport | accessdate=2007-01-05] His refereeing came under criticism yet again on December 16 2006 after Southampton's 2-0 victory over Norwich, with Canaries' manager Peter Grant claiming: "It's scandalous the way he talks to players. He shows them no respect, and yet expects respect back. With this referee it's all about him. People come to watch the players and be entertained, not to watch the referee." [cite news | date=2006-12-16 | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/6164733.stm | title=Southampton 2-1 Norwich | publisher=BBC Sport | accessdate=2006-12-17]

On August 21 2007, "The Sun" newspaper announced that Rennie had been withdrawn from the list of referees after failing the prescribed fitness tests and that he would not referee again until he passed one. These tests are re-taken after one month. [ [http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2002390000-2007380650,00.html Failed fitness tests] , report from August 2007: "The Sun" online. Retrieved on August 24 2007.]

However, his failure of the tests actually turned out to be due to a hamstring injury. [ [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/text/article.html?in_article_id=496109&in_page_id=1951&in_main_section=Sport&in_sub_section=&in_chn_id=1470 Confirmation of hamstring injury] : Graham Poll, the Mail Online. Retrieved on November 25 2007.] He made his return to active refereeing on November 24 2007, handling the Championship match between Scunthorpe United and Hull City, which finished as a 2-1 away win. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/7099748.stm Return from injury] , Scunthorpe v. Hull, 2007: BBC Sport report. Retrieved on November 25 2007.]

Career statistics

(There are no available records prior to 1997/1998)

Life outside football

He practices both kick-boxing and aikido, and has a Master's degree in Business Administration and Law. He is also a magistrate in Sheffield. [cite news | date=2004-07-26 | url=http://www.givemefootball.com/display.cfm?article=4758&type=1 | title=Come on ref| publisher=PFA | accessdate=2007-01-20] He is married with one daughter.

References

External links

* [http://www.soccerbase.com/refs2.sd?refid=171 Uriah Rennie Referee Statistics] at soccerbase.com