Support pours in as first transgender referee steps onto the pitch

Lucy Clark loves football. The English men's football referee, who was formerly known as Nick, says that football saved her life. 

After several years of hormone treatments and with the full support of her wife, 46-year-old Lucy announced that she would be refereeing her next match under her new identity. 

The Football Association encourages all trans people to feel free to participate in the sport: "The Football Association was supportive of her decision to transition. They fully support Lucy and anyone else who wants to participate in football in their preferred gender."

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Lucy did admit to feeling apprehension around the fans' and players' reactions to her new identity: "Players I can deal with. I can just give red or yellow cards to them. It’s the fans – that’s where the issues could come. I’m preparing myself for the ­derogatory comments."

Reports suggest that Lucy's first match in West London, where she was the referee between the Queens Park Rangers Women and the Parkwood Rangers, went very well. 

Lucy has big dreams for her career, though she admits that she may be too old to meet her goal of refereeing in the English Premier League.

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For now, Lucy will referee only women's matches, but she hopes to continue participating in men's games at a later stage. 

She is happy to finally be participating in the sport as her true self: "When I blow that whistle today I can finally be myself. I’ve waited a lifetime for that."