Regardless of whether she is female or not, she's worked hard to get to the position she has and that should be applauded. The powers that be would not have promoted her firstly to L3, then FL Line and most recently to PL line if she wasn't capable. To say that she's reached the top quicker because she is female is unfair IMO.
What about Stuart Attwell and Michael Oliver? Although they are young (similar age to Sian in fact), they have been promoted quicker because they have the ability, not because of their sex!
I see what you are saying, but I still maintain, that if Sian Massey was a man (weird thought), then she probably would not be at the level she is know. Granted, maybe in a few years, she would be, but not right now.
I don't think that we can deny, that in modern day society, people are affraid of offending people, or affraid of being seen to be sexist, stereotypical etc, and as a result, people who may not nessecerily have the right credentials, or is good enough, or is not the general person, etc to have a certain rol or job, get it, because they are exactly what the employer don't want to be seen to be against... If that makes sense.
Yes I'm sure that she has worked very hard, but the fact that she is a woman, has deffinetly, in my opinion, helped her out.
Besides, women can't play in the league, so why should they be allowed to ref there? I'm not sexist, I just believe that the PGMOL try to make a point about not being sexist, and so have a female on a PL line, where I'm sure, there are male officials who have worked just as hard, if not harder, for longer, and Sian has taken their place, in some kind of PGMOL 'publicity stunt' (in search of better phrase).