Meet Jawahir Roble: The UK's First Hijabi Referee

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Jawahir Roble: The Woman Rewriting What Football Looks Like

Jawahir Roble, also known as JJ, made history as the UK's first registered female Muslim football referee. Born in Somalia in 1995, she arrived in Britain aged 10 as a refugee, settling in north-west London with her parents and eight siblings. Football was part of her life from the very beginning. She recalls playing in the streets of Mogadishu as a child, regrouping with friends even as the sound of gunshots echoed nearby.

Her path into refereeing wasn't planned. When nobody turned up to officiate a game, JJ stepped in and never looked back. She went on to earn FA qualifications, a degree in coaching and a Level Six refereeing qualification, all while wearing her hijab on the pitch.

The Daily Telegraph has called her "the most remarkable referee in England." It's not hard to see why. In 2023, she received an MBE in the New Year's Honours list in recognition of her services to football and charity. She has also been named one of the BBC's 100 Women, won the Match Official prize at the FA Respect Awards and volunteered extensively with Football Beyond Borders and the Jason Roberts Foundation.

But beyond the accolades, what drives JJ is something simpler. She wants young Muslim girls to see themselves in the game. As she has put it herself, who would ever think a Black, Somali-born immigrant girl with eight siblings could referee a men's game in England with a hijab on? That question is both her story and her answer to anyone who has ever been told they don't belong.

At the MFSA, JJ's story is exactly the kind we exist to celebrate and amplify. Football is for everyone. JJ is proving it, one game at a time.

Do you want to share your story or write for the MFSA? Contact us today via our form or email: info@mfsa.org.uk