Jenny Bray has had a stellar career as an international soccer referee and a manager of public school football teams where she mentored girls who went on to become Matildas.

Miss Bray, the trailblazer for women’s soccer referees, was last night inducted into the Football Australia Hall of Fame alongside former Socceroos captain, human rights advocate and former public school student Craig Foster, prominent administrator Ian Holmes, and football pioneer, the late Alex Pongrass.

The Year 5/6 teacher at Engadine Public School said it was an “incredible recognition” of the work she had put in over decades.

“It’s just amazing to see how far we have come as female referees,” she said.

Football Australia said Miss Bray had devoted 40 years to refereeing and making refereeing accessible for other women and continues to work in the sport at an international and national level as a referee coach and assessor.

“She set the original path for future Australian women referees through her distinguished career as a national and international referee, helping raise awareness of the calibre of Australia’s women referee talent pool at FIFA, and the Oceania and Asian Football Confederations,” her citation said.

Miss Bray started her refereeing career in 1984 with the St George Association in Sydney before moving to the NSW state league level.

She was appointed Australia’s first female FIFA referee in 1995 and started referee coaching and assessing for the national governing body three years later. She said the most memorable game she refereed was Australia v USA in 1997.

Sport and the classroom

Miss Bray said her association with the NSW Primary Schools Sporting Association over decades has shown her that the common denominator in teaching and coaching is “having good communication”.

“I have had unique opportunities to influence kids in sport and in the classroom,” she said.

As a PSSA football state manager, she mentored promising students through to national championships, along the way talent-spotting players who would go on to play for Australia, including Sally Shipard, Cian Maciejewski and Leah Blayney, the current head coach of the Young Matildas.

“I still have a beautiful letter from Ellyse Perry’s parents after I took her down to the [soccer] nationals in Melbourne,” she said.

Australian cricketer Ellyse Perry debuted for Australia in both the cricket and soccer teams when she was just 16.

Miss Bray played soccer while a student at Peakhurst High School when a girls’ competition in her area was finally formed.

“I used to get dragged around to my brother’s soccer, but I wasn’t allowed to play. In those days it was just netball for girls. Then they started a girls’ comp, and I said, ‘where do I sign?’,” she said.

The principal of Engadine Public School, Sara Swift, said staff and students were “absolutely delighted” that Miss Bray had been recognised for her contribution to women’s football, both nationally and internationally.

“This is a huge honour for Jenny and such well-deserved acknowledgement of her exceptional contribution to the game,” Mrs Swift said.

“In her passion for both football and for teaching, Jenny has continually sought to break down barriers, build capacity and deliver excellence.

“She is an outstanding teacher, colleague, and friend and we couldn’t be more proud of her.”