Sky Sports presenters under pressure for sexist remarks
Summary from story in the Guardian – 24.01.11
Sky Sports last night condemned the behaviour of two of its top UK football presenters after they were revealed making sexist remarks about female match officials.
Richard Keys and Andy Gray were recorded making the comments during a transmission of last Saturday’s Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Liverpool.
Key and Gray complained that Sian Massey, 25, didn’t know the off-side rule and that someone “fucked up big” by appointing a female match official.
Gray was recorded saying: ” Female linesman. Forget what I said – they probably don’t know the offside rule.”
He then hit out at Wendy Toms, the first female referee to assist in the Premier League during the late 90s, saying: “She was fucking hopeless as well.”
Key, the channel’s football anchor, was heard criticising Karen Brady, the deputy chair of West Ham, for writing a newspaper column accusing the football media of sexual discrimination.
Key said: “See charming Karen Brady this morning complaining about sexism? Yeah. Do me a favour, love.”
Sky said in a statement last night: “The comments are not acceptable. They were not made on air but we have spoken to Richard and Andy and told them our views and they have apologised and expressed their regret.”
The recording was leaked by the Mail on Sunday after it was passed onto the newspaper by an anonymous source.
So, lads, no sexism then? Do me a favour.
Let’s all complain to Sky – if we want sexism taken as seriously as racism we have to start taking it as seriously ourselves and complain, again, and again, and again.