Sam Allison became the first black referee to take charge of a Premier League match in 15 years when he officiated Luton’s 3-2 win over Sheffield United in December.
His performances impressed the fans and he was later in the season to officiate two more top division matches: Bournemouth’s 4-3 win over Luton and Newcastle’s 1-0 victory over Fulham.
The 43-year-old is very different from most of England’s top referees, but that’s not because of his ethnicity.
Firstly, Allison is a former player, having played for Swindon, Bristol City, Bournemouth and Exeter before enjoying successful non-League careers with Clevedon, Chippenham and Frome.
Allison is also very active on social media. He has a TikTok account where he offers fans an interesting and often humorous behind-the-scenes look into the life of a professional referee.
Last season Sam Allison became the first black referee in the Premier League in 15 years
Allison made his top division debut on Boxing Day by overseeing Luton’s win over Sheffield United
Before Allison, Uriah Rennie (centre) was the only black referee in Premier League history
Many of his videos so far have focused on how he keeps himself fit.
Allison has shared videos of himself undergoing a breathing analysis, wearing compression socks to aid recovery, challenging colleagues to sprint competitions during training, and working hard in the gym.
He recently captioned footage of himself on the treadmill: ‘Referees are the unsung athletes on the field. They train hard to stay sharp.’
In addition to documenting his workouts, Allison also shows fans how much preparation and analysis goes into his work.
Ahead of a summer friendly between Cheltenham and Plymouth, Allison surprised some fans by revealing how much kit he takes with him to each game.
Then, after his first EFL appointment of the season, he explained: ‘After every game there’s a match review to complete’. Allison accompanied a clip of himself rewatching his performance in Middlesbrough’s 1-0 win over Swansea with the caption: ‘You’re a referee but it’s not over when you blow your whistle.’
Allison joined TikTok in July and has since given fans a glimpse into the life of a referee
The Premier League referee has shared several videos documenting his training sessions and much more
Allison showed fans that his matchday role doesn’t end when he blows the final whistle
Alisson, who combined his active career with his former role as a firefighter, currently divides his time between the Premier League and the EFL Championship.
Earlier this summer, he posted a video unboxing his official kit for the new campaign.
He also shared a video of himself trying on the different kits, which he concluded by showing the ‘No room for racism’ sticker to the camera. Incidentally, his favourite referee’s shirt was the orange Premier League shirt.
Another popular upload from Allison is a video of him performing keepy uppies with the cheeky message: ‘POV: when the referee gets to kick a ball’.
Social media is a powerful tool for celebrities, athletes and now referees to connect with fans.
However, it can also be a place full of hate, full of trolls and offensive comments.
Currently, Allison’s TikTok account has around 20,000 followers and the vast majority of fan interactions are positive and polite.
But that could change if Allison takes charge of a number of key Premier League teams and matches this season.
Allison showed off the official gear he’ll be wearing this season, including his favorite orange top
Allison is a former player and he posted a video of himself doing keepy uppies in his yard
Unfortunately, at some point a backlash seems almost inevitable.
Allison was not selected for a top division match on the opening weekend of the 2024-25 Premier League season.
Instead, he took charge of West Brom v Leeds in the Championship on Saturday.