Who is Bhupinder Singh Gill? All you need to know about Premier League’s first Sikh-Punjabi assistant referee and his family history

Jarnail Singh, the father of Bhupinder Singh Gill, was the first referee to use a turban in an English league match.

Who is Bhupinder Singh Gill? All you need to know about Premier League’s first Sikh-Punjabi assistant referee and his family history

Bhupinder Singh Gill

Wednesday’s Premier League match between Southampton and Nottingham Forest at St. Mary’s saw Bhupinder Singh Gill debut as a Premier League linesman. He made history by becoming the first Sikh-Punjabi assistant referee in the Premier League.

The 37-year-old is descended from a long line of referees. In the English Football League (EFL) from 2004 and 2010, his father Jarnail Singh oversaw over 150 matches. He was the country’s first referee to don a turban while officiating a match.

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Sunny Singh Gill, the older brother of Bhupinder, is the most experienced referee of South Asian ancestry in England. When Sunny previously supervised the League Two encounter between Northampton and Hartlepool this campaign, he made history as the first British South Asian official following his father to supervise a League Two game.

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An insight to Bhupinder Singh Gill’s history

Bhupinder is a physical education instructor and parent of two. He is a component of the Elite Referee Development Plan (ERDP) of the Premier League, established in initial 2022 to raise officiating benchmarks and assist referees from disadvantaged and marginalized contexts in breaking into the top echelons of the match. The 37-year-old began training as a referee when he was 14 years old.

“First and foremost, I’m delighted that Bhupinder has been given this appointment in the Premier League – for him as an individual, and for the recognition of the talented and dedicated official he is, having worked his way through the levels,” in a statement to Sky Sports, Howard Webb, a chief officiating executive for Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) said.

Bhupinder’s selection, according to Webb, will allow Asian children and teenagers to “see somebody who looks like them doing something that they thought wasn’t possible for them previously.” The PGMOL is the entity in charge of selecting Premier League referees.

He stated, “Bhupinder’s appointment to the Premier League and the best league in the world will show an even greater audience about what’s possible for people from different backgrounds. It’s a great opportunity to use Bhupinder’s expertise in the capacity as a role model, but also for us to have his ability as an official – because he’s good at what he does. He’s going to deliver a great performance in the same way that Sunny (his brother) does in the Football League.”

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Bhupinder Singh Gill on his record at the Premier League

Bhupinder stated in a statement issued to the press following his selection for the match: “This has to be the proudest and most exciting moment in my refereeing journey so far, but I’m not getting carried away as it is just another step in the direction to where I want to get to.”

Singh Gill expressed his optimism that this will serve as yet another opportunity to motivate young people to register for refereeing classes and start regulating. “My dream has always been to reach the top of the game, be a role model for future officials and encourage more people from diverse backgrounds into officiating, especially from a South Asian background just like me,”.

Bhupinder’s father  Jarnail Singh was the first turban-wearing referee in English league football.  Trailblazer Jarnail continues officiating matches for the Khalsa Football Federation (KFF) and the Combined Counties League. Jarnail, who has prior Premier League exposure as a referee, was pleased as he saw his youngest son create history while attending the game at St. Mary’s. “For the Sikh community and all South Asians who dream of a career in the game, seeing Bhupinder officiate in the Premier League is absolutely massive,” Bhupinder’s father Jsrnail told Sky Sports News.

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