Andy Gray Sacked For ‘Unacceptable Behaviour’, Richard Keys Survives

Ollie Irish

25th, January 2011

32 Comments

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?

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32 Comments

  1. Baggees says:

    “Hairy teeth” – that is genius, I sooo bet he has

  2. Jon says:

    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.

  3. Jon says:

    Also I hope it’s Alan Shearer so I don’t have to watch him bitching and moaning on MotD.

  4. 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.

  5. disgracedminister says:

    give me a button to switch off the commentary like Fifa.

    Sick of it.

    Great to see a dickhead get the sack.

  6. disgracedminister says:

    oh and to switch off the replays.

  7. BettySwollocks says:

    BBC will have a massive struggle trying to hang onto Steve Claridge now

  8. Lloyd says:

    wouldn’t be suprised if keys was also sacked actually:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvsaG3b9uVY&feature=player_embedded

  9. tom says:

    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.

  10. Jamie says:

    angy gray

  11. Jamie says:

    andy gray #

  12. Samhumphreys says:

    Robbie.
    Savage.

  13. Urquhart says:

    Get Karren Brady and one of the nude models from her former employers. That should ensure there is no sexism.

  14. audiodrifter says:

    AC Jimbo would be brilliant.

  15. Tinez says:

    don’t want jimbo to be dirtyed with sky’s disgrace.

  16. SeanBCFC says:

    angry feminists 1, andy gray 0

  17. Joe says:

    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.

  18. Joe says:

    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…

  19. Rob says:

    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.

  20. Jordon says:

    Chris Kamara for the chief role!

  21. Greg says:

    James Richardson would make us all proud again.

  22. TravisKOP says:

    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

  23. kahhoe says:

    fuck you Gray! go to hell!

  24. syndex says:

    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.

  25. Jeankultamr says:

    Gabby Logan

  26. arvind says:

    AC Jimbo would be awesome.

  27. Andy says:

    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.

  28. Montesquieu says:

    “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.

  29. manc89 says:

    who wants vanilla?? seriously

  30. Sue McKie says:

    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.

  31. love cpfc says:

    dont they understand she is obviously gone up through the ranks

    andy gray has a wife how

  32. alex proudlock says:

    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!

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