Richard Keys and Andy Gray

[Eastcowzer]

Im all for female referee's assistants as long as they are topless.

 

ah, ah, now, that verging on anti-feminist talk. You'll have to come into the office and I'll give you a stiff talking to.

Besides, the delightfull Sian added a bit of glamour to Anfield. I'd sooner look at her than the arch-thugs Carragher and/or Gerrard ..... and she seemed more proficient than some of the incompetent male linesmen we've seen at SMS this season.

[Saint Luke]

Tbf when I saw it on MOTD I went "Oh ffs, this is why we shouldn't have female officials!" and then saw the replay and she got the decision completely correct (I will point out that I find sexism completely abhorrent, but it's something about the offside rule!). You're going to get this kind of sexism when you introduce women into football officiating anyway, not only are refs and lines(wo)men not exactly well-liked by fans it's not what we're used to at a footy game. I bet there will be women officiating in the Brazil World Cup

 

Do you think the women officials would be made to wear skimpier kit just like they do with women volleyball players. Now that is sexist!

Edited 25 January, 2011 by Saint Luke
Forgot tohighlight text

[holepuncture]

Just downloaded the new FIFA 11 commentary update. Not much different, although when my girlfriend went on it, Andy Gray shouted "put that ****ing controller down and get back to the kitchen."

 

You lot are a bit wet, but fine, I guess were all a bunch of women these days.

 

So now everyones calling for Keys and Gray to go, shall we replace them with female presenters?

 

Its a blokes games, players swear at refs at vice versa, fans call refs ******s, Gray and Keys are established old boys, it is only banter, the kind of banter that will erode to nothing if you bunch of wet fishes get your wishes.

 

I tell you what, why dont we push it a bit further, female presenters and commentators, thatll add to the intensity and drama. F'sure eh Arry don cha fink?

 

Lets get a female ref officiating an important game, im sure she can keep up with Drogba and the boys for 90 minutes. Im sure she will comand the respect of the players, managers and supporters, much more than the men do, it will be super cool and the captains will give her a kiss on each cheek before the game.

 

Lets cut the ****ing beer out and get some nice innocent smoothies in, you know, the ones with the cute little bottles. Yummy!

 

Lets scrap the pub too, we shall now go to nandos and drink wine ****ing spritzers before the game.

 

Its gonna be great with all these women in the game, the crowds have never sounded so calm and confused, and replacing the bars with costa coffees and new looks was an inspired move, people dont get drunk at all anymore, they just refer to each other as 'honey' et al.

 

Jesus ****ing christ you lot have really upset me now, you bunch of soft, melted, under the thumb, taste the difference, middle aged, middle lane, mild mannered pussies! (imagine the detective from the Thin blue line)

 

Man up!

[the stain]

Have you ever met a woman?

[Marsdinho]

I don't think Richard Keys and Andy Gray meant to be sexist.

 

I'm sure they don't hate woman, they both own one after all.

[Thedelldays]

andy gray has been sacked.....for this comment and others totted up...

 

time to move on from this arrogant ****

[SaintSparky]

Sky News (Sky Channel 501) is reporting that Andy Gray has been sacked.

[Saint Keith]

oops. wonder if keys is going too, or if gray is going to carry the can on his own

[Thedelldays]

apparently there is more material from gray that dates back to last month....

[NickG]

for comments made in December.

 

funny listenning to various sexist comments on talksport justifying him

[bridge too far]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/9373280.stm

[stevegrant]

Take a P45, son

[SuperMikey]

Oh dear. Bet Redcrapp Jr. gets his job...

[Thedelldays]

http://www.talksport.co.uk/radio/drivetime/blog/2011-01-25/see-video-got-andy-gray-sack-sky

 

this is the latest video about to be released....

[stevegrant]

apparently there is more material from gray that dates back to last month....

There was one clip I saw this morning where he, Keys and Charlotte Jackson were fitting their microphones, and Gray turns to Jackson and says "can you tuck my shirt in for me, Charlotte?"

 

Edit: that one above!

[dune]

Already being discussed in general sports.

[Dimond Geezer]

I don't think Richard Keys and Andy Gray meant to be sexist.

 

I'm sure they don't hate woman, they both own one after all.

 

[doc oli]

Take a byeee son

[saint.tom.clancy]

As much as I dont like him, what a ridiculous decision. The same thing is said in 99% of pubs/football clubs/rugby clubs up and down the country everyday, maybe un-justified but its still the stereotype of woman officials. Joke decision, a personal apology would have been more than enough IMO.

[Huntingdon]

He's desperately unlucky

 

These comments were off air, so it's a huge overreaction

 

I'm sure most of us have made either lewd comments to a colleague, or negative comments about women in football

[trousers]

RIP Free Speech

 

'Great' Britain, January 2010

[trousers]

p.s. Will ITV's Loose Women programme (for example) now be taken off the air for ridiculing men....? Or is that OK because it's "ironic"...?

 

Yours,

The Voice of Reason

[Hatch]

Huuuge overreaction.

 

This sort of thing goes on all the time , every day.

 

It goes both ways. Have the Loose Women bunch never ever said anything disparraging (sp?) about men. Sack them as well.

[aintforever]

I expect Richard Keys will go as well, from what I heard he said most of it.

 

Fully deserved IMO, it's hard to see how they can be taken seriously as pundits again after such retarded comments.

[stevegrant]

I'm sure most of us have made either lewd comments to a colleague, or negative comments about women in football

That may be so, but I assume most of the time it would have been with tongue firmly in cheek, and as far as I'm aware none of us are the face of Premier League football coverage for the nation's most profitable broadcaster.

[bridge too far]

And, presumably because of the hornet's nest their antediluvian comments have stirred up, this happens:

 

Massey, meanwhile, has been withdrawn from her duties as an assistant referee for Tuesday's League Two game between Crewe and Bradford.

 

from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/9373280.stm

 

I do hope that's not the end of a promising career

[Thedelldays]

sam matterface (ex sky sports employee) is on Talksport saying he is in no way surprised that more remarks from gray have come out....gray acted like he was untouchable and not popular at all with many of the employees there

[keithd]

Huuuge overreaction.

 

This sort of thing goes on all the time , every day.

 

It goes both ways. Have the Loose Women bunch never ever said anything disparraging (sp?) about men. Sack them as well.

 

yeah this is true but lets face it, they're just women and bless them they dont know any better. they've got themselves a little part time job on the telly, away from the home, where they can earn themselves a couple of pennys for some spends of their own. leave them be.

 

as for gray getting sacked, yep bit OTT but glad he's gone. been there too long, takaboo sun is annoying, as is passing it to his mate. good riddance to bad rubbish

[Sergei Gotsmanov]

I feel deeply uncomfortable with private comments being used against people. This is a very slippery slope and is something that I would associate with Fascism or Communism. The fact that they were proved wrong should have been sufficient. If somebody says something you disagree with argue with them do not go to the State.

 

Be warned walls have ears!

[Shroppie]

I'm delighted Gray has gone. Always found him to be over-opinionated, very biased in favour of the so-called big 4, especially Manure and patronising towards the lower leagues, always implying that the Permier League is so obviously better than anything else.

 

I know that the sort of comments he's made are everyday pub banter, but he wasn't in the pub, he is (was) in the public eye and he deserves everything he's got. I hope he never works again.

[NickG]

Already being discussed in general sports.

 

strange place - never go there!

[eurosaint]

Seems that Gray had an indiscretion in December which has just come to light and was even worse than the recent one !

I'd be surprised if Sky Sports would have sacked their 'leading pundit' without good reason ??

Also seems that Keys apologised to the lino and that AG refused to do so (on air at least!).

[Thedelldays]

I think the problem is not that they have been caught out when they were not broadcasting..but they were on a professional basis and it HAS come out....whether the cameras/mics were on or not, he made said comments whilst representing skysports

[NickG]

As much as I dont like him, what a ridiculous decision. The same thing is said in 99% of pubs/football clubs/rugby clubs up and down the country everyday, maybe un-justified but its still the stereotype of woman officials. Joke decision, a personal apology would have been more than enough IMO.

 

these aren't comments in pub, football club etc - but workplace.

 

If he had been taped saying these one night in pub, would have been bit a publicity and thats it.

[NickG]

I expect Richard Keys will go as well, from what I heard he said most of it.

 

Fully deserved IMO, it's hard to see how they can be taken seriously as pundits again after such retarded comments.

 

think sacking is for another incident

[NickG]

I have nothing against female officials. BUT, and we've had this argument on here before, I would be against women playing in the men's game. Even if they were good enough, and at some point a female pro will be, perhaps 1 or 2 already are. Is that sexist? Perhaps it is but I don't see anything wrong with keeping some things men only and some things women only.

 

why?

[trousers]

So, what are the chances of Sky's management having set Gray and Keys up for a fall because they wanted to 'refresh' their presentation team but couldn't break them out of their contracts unless their was a disciplinery reason to do so?

 

This is not my own personal suggestion of course, just a theory that is out there....

[Sergei Gotsmanov]

I recall Saints fans singing 'you should be washing up' at Wendy Toms. Incidentally she had a terrible game when we played Stockport in the quarter finals of the CC Cup. Whether this is because she was female or not is up for debate.

[simo]

I heard he told a Female colleague to clip his mike "down there" !

[Thorpe-le-Saint]

p.s. Will ITV's Loose Women programme (for example) now be taken off the air for ridiculing men....? Or is that OK because it's "ironic"...?

 

Yours,

The Voice of Reason

 

I'm with you on this one trousers. Yes what Andy Gray said was archaic for 2011, but there are plenty of examples when women are sexist towards men - but that seems to fine! As you point out, Loose Women, and that ****ing Boots advert regarding cold and flu medicine.

[bridge too far]

I'm with you on this one trousers. Yes what Andy Gray said was archaic for 2011, but there are plenty of examples when women are sexist towards men - but that seems to fine! As you point out, Loose Women, and that ****ing Boots advert regarding cold and flu medicine.

 

But in neither of the two examples you give, is a man's or woman's professional ability called into question on the basis of gender.

[jam]

So, what are the chances of Sky's management having set Gray and Keys up for a fall because they wanted to 'refresh' their presentation team but couldn't break them out of their contracts unless their was a disciplinery reason to do so?

 

This is not my own personal suggestion of course, just a theory that is out there....

 

Very good of Gray to oblige so willingly then.

[for_heaven's_Saint]

Surely by withdrawing the woman from a game they are supporting the notion that she is different to male officials??

[Special K]

for comments made in December.

 

funny listenning to various sexist comments on talksport justifying him

 

Does anybody know what he is supposed to have said in December?

[mcjwills]

Why has the person that has recorded them in secret, and sent the remarks to the bosses not come out and said "I was the person that made the recording that lead to Andy Gray getting sacked" , why because the rat knows nobody will ever want to work with him!!!!

[Thedelldays]

Why has the person that has recorded them in secret, and sent the remarks to the bosses not come out and said "I was the person that made the recording that lead to Andy Gray getting sacked" , why because the rat knows nobody will ever want to work with him!!!!

 

hardly recorded in secret when they were at work.....just because they were not being broadcast across the nation at that time does not mean that are not being filmed...!!!

[jam]

Does anybody know what he is supposed to have said in December?

 

's on the other fred...

 

 

http://www.talksport.co.uk/radio/drivetime/blog/2011-01-25/see-video-got-andy-gray-sack-sky

 

this is the latest video about to be released....

[Sergei Gotsmanov]

But in neither of the two examples you give, is a man's or woman's professional ability called into question on the basis of gender.

 

BTf if somebody questioned my ability I would just be determined to prove them wrong. It is very patronising to her. As it happens I doubt she was bothered, just delighted that she had a good game and and did her talking on the pitch or just off it.

[Thorpe-le-Saint]

But in neither of the two examples you give, is a man's or woman's professional ability called into question on the basis of gender.

 

Fair enough, this is true. I must admit, I've never heard someone question a man's ability to be a midwife or something similar. Do you not feel though, that if there was a 'Loose men' making the same kind of comments/jokes, there would be complaints?

[bridge too far]

BTf if somebody questioned my ability I would just be determined to prove them wrong. It is very patronising to her. As it happens I doubt she was bothered, just delighted that she had a good game and and did her talking on the pitch or just off it.

 

Absolutely and she did very much show them up for the idiots they are. But, at the time, she didn't know what they'd said about her, did she? To her credit, AFAIK, she's kept a dignified silence.

 

If someone questioned your ability PURELY BECAUSE OF YOUR GENDER, and you didn't know about it, but subsequently found out, I guess you'd be a tad annoyed.