Referee Foster included in King's birthday honours

Welsh referee Cheryl Foster has been included successful nan King's day honours list.

The erstwhile Wales forward, 43, has been appointed an MBE for services to relation shot and women's sport.

She became Wales' first World Cup referee successful 45 years erstwhile she took complaint of Brazil's 4-0 triumph against Panama successful Adelaide successful 2023.

Foster had been selected to officiate astatine nan Women's World Cup successful Australia and New Zealand. She refereed 4 games successful total, including nan third-place play-off lucifer betwixt Australia and Sweden.

Hailing from Bangor, Foster became nan first Welsh female to officiate astatine a awesome tourney astatine Euro 2022 and was past successful complaint of the 2023 Champions League final betwixt Barcelona and Wolfsburg successful Eindhoven.

Foster began refereeing successful 2013 and was added to Fifa's world database of referees successful 2015 and promoted to Uefa's elite database 5 years later.

Foster besides now helps nan Football Association of Wales (FAW) successful its recruitment thrust for much women and, contempt her full-time occupation arsenic a coach and progressive referee, she gives up her clip to beryllium disposable for nan FAW’s women-only referee people and to enactment arsenic leader, mentor and coach to nan recently qualified officials.

Her sparkling refereeing profession followed a successful playing stint which started astatine Bangor City Ladies squad successful nan Welsh system.

Foster joined Liverpool, wherever she won 3 convention titles and scored nan club’s first extremity successful nan Women’s Super League (WSL).

She besides won 63 Wales caps betwixt 1997 and 2011, which was a grounds astatine nan time.

Ian Martin, from Mold, was appointed an MBE for services to athletics and charity, while Neath lucky nine chair Derek Salisbury received nan aforesaid accolade for services to lucky successful southbound Wales.

British Empire Medals (BEM) were received by Barrie Jenkins, nan vice-chair and caput coach for Cardiff Chameleons, for services to bowls successful Wales and Mark Portsmouth for his services to athletics successful Mumbles, Swansea.