Emily Heaslip will take charge of Sheffield Wednesday’s latest League One outing this weekend.

Referee Emily Heaslip will take charge of her first-ever League One fixture when Sheffield Wednesday welcome AFC Wimbledon to Hillsborough on Saturday afternoon.

Suffolk-based Heaslip, who is one of a handful of female referees in the EFL, is part of the National Group of referees, meaning she primarily officiates matches in League One and League Two, as well as in the National League.

So far this season, Heaslip, who is in her third year as a full-time professional referee, has officiated six EFL fixtures, taking charge of four League Two matches and two in the Vertu Trophy.

Those six matches have seen her issue 19 yellow cards and one red card. Her most recent EFL fixture was Stevenage’s 2-1 win over Leicester City in the Vertu Trophy just over a week ago.

Heaslip, who played for Watford Ladies before becoming a referee, also officiates matches in the Women’s Super League (WSL). Last month, she took charge of Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Arsenal.

Although she has also officiated women’s matches at international level, Saturday’s clash between the Owls and Wimbledon will mark her first League One appointment, making it a landmark moment in her career.

Emily Heaslip has never officiated a match at such a high level of the men’s English football pyramid as Saturday’s fixture at Hillsborough. | Getty Images

placeholder image — Emily Heaslip has never officiated a match at such a high level of the men’s English football pyramid as Saturday’s fixture at Hillsborough. | Getty Images

Opening up on what she enjoys about being a referee last year, Heaslip told The Guardian: “It’s a really strange thing. It’s not one of those things that you look at and you go: ‘What a fantastic career or great opportunity,’ but it really is.

“Once you get in it, it’s quite addictive. The camaraderie is one thing, but I think the thing that draws me in is that every game, every 90 minutes, is an unknown. Then there’s the satisfaction you get from making the right decisions.”

Heaslip first officiated an EFL fixture towards the end of last season, taking charge of a League Two clash between Fleetwood Town and Tranmere Rovers in March. It was the first of three fourth-tier matches she officiated before the end of the 2025/26 campaign.