A FEMALE referee will take charge of a Grimsby Town match for the first time in the club's history on Saturday.

Amy Fearn will officiate the Mariners' Blue Square Bet Premier clash against Bath City at Blundell Park.

And up-and-coming referee Hayley Butts, from Cleethorpes, has hailed the appointment as 'inspiring'.

The 23-year-old last season became the first female to referee in the Grimsby, Cleethorpes & District Sunday League. She also takes charge in the Grimsby & District Football League.

Butts said: "It's fantastic news. It's great that she's been given the opportunity (to referee at Blundell Park).

"I'm sure it will inspire a lot of people, including me.

"It shows that if you go on the referees' promotion course you can get somewhere – it's very encouraging."

Butts is hoping to take the course next season. It could open the door for her to climb the ranks into professional football.

She hopes to follow in the footsteps of Sian Massey, who has run the line in the Premier League, and Fearn, who has refereed nine Blue Square Bet Premier matches this season and officiated in the Championship.

"Amy has done very well, as has Sian Massey," said Butts.

"I'm hoping to do the promotion scheme and see how far I can get.

"It involves you refereeing 20 games during a full season as part of your training.

"It would be great to referee at Blundell Park one day."

Fearn, formerly Amy Raynor, has officiated at Blundell Park before – she was a linesman during the Mariners' clash match Kidderminster Harriers in November 2004.

She notoriously came under-fire from former Grimsby Town manager Mike Newell in November 2006 – when he was in charge of Luton.

While running the line, she rejected a penalty claim for the Hatters, prompting Newell to say: "It is bad enough with incapable referees and linesmen but if you start bringing women into the game you have big problems."

He was fined and later apologised.

Last week, Fearn hit the national news again after she was criticised by Ipswich Town boss Paul Jewell following his team's 2-1 defeat at Birmingham.

Referees' union chief Alan Leighton branded his outburst as "clearly sexist", but Jewell rejected that claim and the Football Association has taken no action.

According to a national newspaper, Fearn has told friends she was not offended by the manager's comments.