Sunny Singh Gill set to become first British South Asian to referee Premier League game when he takes charge of Crystal Palace vs Luton this weekend
Sunny Singh Gill is set to become the first British South Asian referee to take charge of a Premier League game when he officiates the Crystal Palace vs. Luton Town encounter on Saturday, March 9.
Sunny Singh Gill's family has a history in football officiating. His father Jarnail officiated in English league football between 2004 and 2010 and remains the only referee to have officiated while wearing a turban.
Sunny's brother, Bhupinder, meanwhile, became the first Sikh-Punjabi to be the assistant referee of a Premier League match. He was on the sidelines for the clash between Southampton and Nottingham Forest in January 2023.
Sunny Singh Gill first officiated a Sunday League match at the age of 17 and in 2021, he and Bhupinder became the first pair of British South Asian referees to officiate the same Championship match.
39-year-old Gill is now on the cusp of making history. He has previously told EFL about his family's history with football. He said (via Premier League's website):
“Football has always run in the family. Me and my brother grew up loving the game and like most young kids, we just wanted to play. But in our household it was a bit different because when we were going to primary school, we knew our dad was going out to referee on a weekend."
Gill added:
"There were times he was a fourth official in the Premier League and our friends would say they saw him on Match of the Day!”
Sunny Singh Gill has previously spoken about his aspirations of officiating in the Premier League
Sunny Singh Gill's relationship with football clearly dates back to a long time ago. He and his family have been involved with the game for a considerable period of time.
Gill has previously made his aspirations clear about becoming a Premier League referee, telling Sky Sports last October:
"It's been a lot of hard work training away from the pitch, improving in every department with the help of the PGMOL and my coaches.”
Gill added:
"I now want to set more goals and fulfil my dream of becoming the first South Asian to referee in the Premier League."
Gill is now on the verge of fulfilling his longstanding dream during the Premier League fixture between Crystal Palace and Luton Town this weekend.