TWO WELL-KNOWN faces from Sky Sports’ football coverage have come under fire after a British newspaper obtained a sound recording of two of them making sexist remarks about a female linesman at a Premier League match yesterday.
The Mail on Sunday has published the audio file, which it says it was offered through an anonymous source, which appears to record host Richard Keys and pundit Andy Gray discussing how Sian Massey, who was a referee’s assistant at yesterday’s game between Wolves and Liverpool, was incapable of doing her job because she was female.
“Somebody better get down there and explain offside to her,” a man – whose voice sounds like that of Keys – is heard to say.
“Yeah, I know,” another voice – sounding like that of former Scotland great Gray – responds. “Can you believe that? A female linesman… Women don’t know the offside rule.”
“Of course they don’t,” the first voice responds, suggesting that Massey was bound to make a wrong decision and incur the wrath of Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish, who would “go potty”, adding: ”The game’s gone mad.”
Referring to a column in The Sun by West Ham vice-chairwoman Karren Brady, published yesterday morning, the first voice then says: “Did you hear the charming Karren Brady [West Ham vice-chairwoman] complaining about sexism this morning? Yeah, do me a favour, love…”
Brady’s column said she had experienced “sexism as its rankest, lies about my personal life and a level of calculated mischief,” over suggestions she had encouraged the club’s players to “rise up” against under-fire coach Avram Grant.
Asserting that the two voices are those of Gray and Keys, the Mail said Brady told it the tape “sums up everything I said in my column”.
Keys told the paper that he didn’t have any recollection of the conversation, while Gray was uncontactable.
During the game Massey angered home fans by allowing Liverpool’s first goal when Raul Meireles appeared offside; replays later showed she had made the correct decision.
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