Andy Gray has lost his job over sexist comments towards Sian Massey during Liverpool's 3-0 defeat of Wolverhampton at Molineux this weekend. Although he was merely suspended for his tirade over the presence of a woman on the touchline, which featured the veteran commentator (off-air at the time) complaining stridently to Richard Keys that women couldn't possibly know the offside rule, let alone enforce it, Sky Sports were compelled to launch an investigation into his behaviour. The results were, unsurprisingly, hardly pleasant, and he's now been sacked after "new evidence of unacceptable and offensive behaviour" have come to light.
Andy Gray Fired Over Sexist Sian Massey Comments
Gray was a mainstay of a culture of institutionalised homophobia/racism/sexism/anti-intellectualism that permeates football’s old guard, so, again, it’s not particularly surprising that there was more nastiness to be found under the hood. Many will dismiss his comments to Keys (and to reporter Andy Burton, whose leaked conversation with Gray has gotten him a telling off from Sky as well) as mere macho banter, which rather misses the fact that Gray sounded deadly serious about these views in the recordings.
Ultimately, this is a good thing for football. While we may disagree about how this came to light - leaking private conversations is a deeply, deeply awful thing to do - it’s about time the culture of English football was exposed for what it is: A fetid, stinking, prejudiced mess.
Gray was the first to be shown the door. Hopefully, he won’t be the last, as pressure is put on the powers that be to replace the doddering old men of football with people who’ve managed to move past the middle of the 20th century.
Meanwhile, Ms. Massey has been withdrawn from officiating the League Two game tonight between Crewe Alexandria and Bradford Town. No reason has been given for the withdrawal by the FA, but presumably they’re trying to keep the media spotlight off Massey while the fallout continues to hit Sky.
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