Andy Gray Sacked For ‘Unacceptable Behaviour’, Richard Keys Survives
By Ollie Irish
One down, one to go. Quite literally
Sky Sports sacked Andy Gray this afternoon, in the light of new evidence of offensive comments the Scot made off-air in December 2010.
Barney Francis, managing director of Sky Sports, said: “Andy Gray’s contract has been terminated for unacceptable behaviour.
“After issuing a warning yesterday, we have no hesitation in taking this action after becoming aware of new information today.”
The new footage, posted by the BBC, purports to show Gray making a suggestive comment towards former colleague Charlotte Jackson, who does not appear to react (I suppose she might not have heard Gray). Gray and Richard Keys then burst out laughing, like the mature adults they are.
Gray’s co-sexist Keys, who at least had the decency to phone assistant ref Sian Massey to say sorry in person – an apology she accepted, apparently – keeps his job by the skin of his (probably) hairy teeth. So it’s not quite a glorious 2-for-1 deal.
* * *
For all his faults, Gray is essentially one of the better commentators out there and he will find work easier to come by than Ron Atkinson did, for example.
But hopefully it’s Sky Sports and its subscribers who should benefit most from this furore. Gray, who used to be very popular with most fans but lost credibility as he descended into self-parody, came to epitomise what went wrong with Sky’s coverage of football in the last ten years; such as an obsession with the few big clubs in England and their homegrown stars like Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney, plus a shameful failure to acknowledge that football even existed before the Premier League era.
Who will replace Gray now? I just hope Jamie Redknapp is not being groomed for Gray’s role as chief pundit/co-commentator. Redknapp Jnr is not quite as vanilla as his image suggests, and he is capable of being outspoken, but neither is he a heavyweight football commentator, which is what Sky needs if it’s to move on properly from this debacle.
As for Keys, he has surely learned his lesson and will keep his mouth firmly shut when he’s off-air from now on.
Who would you like to see replace Gray as Sky’s voice of football?
Do Arsenal Artificially Enhance The Emirates Atmosphere? – OTP
Big Cup Bullshit – The FCF
Guess UEFA Cup Finalists From Their Shirt – Three Match Ban
20 Damning Steve Kean Quotes – Mirror Football
'Abandon All Hope…' – Sunshine Room
Leaked Blackburn Letter Shows Extent Of Turmoil – EPL Talk
Genius Who Couldn't Exist Today: Dragan Stojkovic – LBITCR
German Philosopher Reflects On Jose Mourinho – Futfanatico
Rule Changes That Could Hand Title To Man Utd – FourFourTwo
Welcome To Posh – Danny Last for IBWM
“Hairy teeth” – that is genius, I sooo bet he has
I just hope he gets replaced on FIFA 12, or if I’m lucky they’ll release a patch with a different commentator on FIFA 11.
Since I don’t have Sky Sports, this whole “who should replace him” doesn’t really bother me, but anyone who suggests that shit like this doesn’t happen everywhere is a retard.
Also I hope it’s Alan Shearer so I don’t have to watch him bitching and moaning on MotD.
There’s a track record. Take a look at the collection:
http://skysports.videohq.tv
More of the sexism videos are being added by the hour.
give me a button to switch off the commentary like Fifa.
Sick of it.
Great to see a dickhead get the sack.
oh and to switch off the replays.
BBC will have a massive struggle trying to hang onto Steve Claridge now
wouldn’t be suprised if keys was also sacked actually:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvsaG3b9uVY&feature=player_embedded
glad he got sacked.he is an anti UNITED wanna be scouse knobhead.hates the fact he didnt get paid wat they get paid 2day.wonder how much he got paid 4 wreckin heads wit every angle under the sun.
angy gray
andy gray #
Robbie.
Savage.
Get Karren Brady and one of the nude models from her former employers. That should ensure there is no sexism.
AC Jimbo would be brilliant.
don’t want jimbo to be dirtyed with sky’s disgrace.
angry feminists 1, andy gray 0
Take a bow, son. And then take a hike.
Keys annoys me way more than Gray to be honest, he’s almost as bad as Andy ‘Smugwit’ Townshend.
While we’re on the sexism issue, why are there no female pundits? If Sky takes this issue so seriously, the least they can do is get some of their girls to do something else besides looking pretty on SSN. Georgie Thompson and Dalglish jr. can’t be worse than the Keys, Townshends and Shearers of the commentating word, and few would argue that they’re easier on the eye too…
Let’s just have a commentator on their own, no “analyst” needed. Stop copying the USA, I don’t need some ex footballer telling me what just happened as I’m watching a replay of it. As for Key’s replacement you can’t go wrong with James Richardson.
Chris Kamara for the chief role!
James Richardson would make us all proud again.
my 2 favorite announcers of all time in football gotta be Ian Darke and clive tyldesley but wouldnt mind seeing some new blood in sky
fuck you Gray! go to hell!
Anyone but fucking savage please, If Sam Allerdyce fancies a break from management he was good on monday. But bets are on it is Redknapp which will blow.
Gabby Logan
AC Jimbo would be awesome.
sn’t it laughable that Gray himself is a man who palpably has no understanding of the rules of the game? He routinely says that its “crazy” that players get booked for taking their shirts off, or going into the crowd. Its not crazy Andy. It’s the rules.
And who hasn’t time and time again seen every pundit on TV – not just Gray – say something like “no one understands the offside rule, won’t someone explain it to me,” well, chaps, let me tell you who, on the evidence of Saturday at least, did understand it: Sian Massey.
“Gray’s co-sexist Keys, who at least had the decency to phone assistant ref Sian Massey to say sorry in person – an apology she accepted, apparently”
What choice did Ms. Massey have? It’s not like this doesn’t happen all the time.
who wants vanilla?? seriously
Oh my god what on earth is going on. Well i suppose its time that something different hits the headlines and someone will make a mint out of destroying lives. GREAT BRITAIN we are!!! I wonder what sleeze bag wanted to stitch theses men up, and was’nt it OFF AIR!!!? i also wonder if everything off air was recorded, how many more would loose their jobs both male and female. I think it is disgusting and whoever is behind all this publicity in destroying these two men’s lives, sleeps well at night and watches the destruction they have caused unfold. SHAMEFUL – We are all guilty of saying and doing stupied things but we need to stop throwing the words Rascism and Sexism and any other isms around because its boring and costly and its just feeding the press and the courts and making someone the fall guy. If you dont like Gray and Keys then that’s fine but dont make a mounting out of a mole hill and destroy them and thir families lives. OUTRAGEOUS.
dont they understand she is obviously gone up through the ranks
andy gray has a wife how
omg guys andy gray is great, us guys dont need women, women are shite at everythin,
p.s andys voice is like music to my ears….
and what a sexy bum he has too!