Just when it looked like Sky Sports pundit-in-chief Andy Gray (along with presenter Richard Keys) was going to worm his way out of having to face any tangible punishment for his overtly chauvinistic guffawing, a second denigrating video has been leaked – by Sky News, no less – that may just cost the gittish Scot his lucrative ‘job for life’.
Both Gray and Keys were stripped of their Sky privileges for one night and one night only as a result of their co-misdemeanour, with David Jones sworn in as a late(ish) replacement to present the corporation’s Monday Night Football feature last night, which – despite growing external clamour for Sky Sports to use the opportunity to uproot and disband their Premier League boy’s club – looked to be full length to which they were willing to punish their preeminent ‘talent’.
However, the viral circulation of the second video (the content of which Sky are believed to have been fully aware of at the time of yesterday’s initial controversy) is likely to fortify the demand for Gray to be expelled from our screens for the foreseeable future – or at least until ESPN take a publicity-seeking punt on him being able to keep his atavism to himself until he arrives back at the country club.
In comments again relating to female official Sian Massey, Gray parlez’ed with Sky reporter Andy Burton as to whether or not she was a ‘looker’, before once again hammering home his view on the female of the specie’s grasp of Law 11 in the FA’s big book of rules and regs:
Burton: “Apparently, a female lino today, bit of a looker…”
Gray: “A female linesman?”
Burton: “He [Sky cameraman] says she [Massey] is alright … Now I don’t know if I should trust his judgement on that?”
Gray: “Nah, I wouldn’t. I definitely wouldn’t… I can see her from here… [expletives]. What do women know about the offside rule?”
Without trying to sound too contrite or sanctimonious on the subject, what a f**king gormless, meat-headed prick.
For my money, Sky should – as hinted at earlier – use this a glorious, god-given chance to rid themselves of the insidious, ingrained prannets that currently litter their Premier League coverage and finally give Jeff Stelling the prominent berth he so rightfully deserves.
Sincere apologies to Countdown fans everywhere.
UPDATE: Sky have since announced that Gray’s contract has been terminated with immediate effect for what they have deemed ‘unacceptable ‘behaviour’.
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