Sky Sports suspends Andy Gray and Richard Keys
Sky Sports has suspended Richard Keys and Andy Gray from hosting its Premier League coverage tonight over their sexist comments about assistant referee Sian Massey.
Keys and Gray are the main anchors for Sky's Monday Night Football show, but they will be absent from screens during this evening's televised clash between Bolton and Chelsea.
The ban comes after the pair were recorded saying female officials probably don't understand the offside rule while Massey ran the line during Wolves' clash with Liverpool on Saturday.
Gray said that someone had "fucked up big" by appointing a female official before Keys bemoaned "the game's gone mad".
Keys then turned his attention to West Ham executive Karren Brady, who had that morning written about sexism in the sport in her newspaper column.
"See charming Karren Brady this morning complaining about sexism," Keys said. "Do me a favour, love."
Brady said the comments, which have been widely condemned, summed up her point.
The Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish even made a joke at the broadcaster's expense during his scheduled press conference this morning.
Dalglish quipped in the direction of a Sky Sports reporter: "Are you OK with her (a female journalist) being in the room?"
How Keys and Gray earned their one match ban...
Richard Keys: Well, somebody better get down there and explain offside to her.
Andy Gray: Yeah, I know. Can you believe that? Female linesman. Forget what I said – they probably don't know the offside rule.
RK: Course they don't.
AG: Why is there a female linesman? Somebody's fucked up big.
RK: I can guarantee you there'll be a big one today. Kenny [Dalglish] will go potty. This is not the first time. Didn't we have one before?
AG: Yeah.
RK: Wendy Toms.
AG: Wendy Toms, something like that. She was fucking hopeless as well.
RK: No, no, it's got to be done, it's good. The game's gone mad. See charming Karren Brady this morning complaining about sexism? Yeah. Do me a favour, love.
The comments were made off-air before the game and were not transmitted.