Andy Gray sacked by Sky

Sky has sacked football presenter Andy Gray after further allegations of his sexist behaviour came to light.

The pundit had already been disciplined for sexist comments made about female referee Sian Massey before Saturday's match between Wolves and Liverpool.

The 55-year-old and colleague Richard Keys were stood down for Monday's match between Bolton and Chelsea.

Sky Sports said it had sacked Gray "in response to new evidence of unacceptable and offensive behaviour".

Sky's statement continued: "The new evidence, relating to an off-air incident that took place in December, 2010, came to light after Andy Gray had already been subjected to disciplinary action for his comments of 22 January, 2011."

The new footage, which was recorded in December but only came to light in the last 24 hours, appears to show Gray making a suggestive comment towards colleague Charlotte Jackson, who does not openly react, and he and Keys then burst out laughing.

Sky Sports managing director Barney Francis said: "Andy Gray's contract has been terminated for unacceptable behaviour. After issuing a warning yesterday, we have no hesitation in taking this action after becoming aware of new information today."

Gray has instructed law firm Schillings to represent him over the termination of his contract, while Massey has been withdrawn from her duties as an assistant referee for Tuesday's League Two game between Crewe and Bradford.

The furore began on Saturday when Keys and Gray, believing their microphones were switched off, were recorded before the game at Molineux saying that Massey and other female assistant referees "did not know the offside rule".

Keys added: "Somebody better get down there and explain offside to her."

The pair were subsequently disciplined.

Keys has since telephoned Massey, who has accepted the presenter's apology.

However, new footage emerged on Monday of Gray, a former Scotland international and striker with Aston Villa, Wolves and Everton, talking off-air with Sky Sports' pitchside reporter Andy Burton about Massey.

Sky News reported that the pair discussed Massey's appearance, with Burton referring to Massey as "a bit of a looker" while Gray asks: "What do women know about the offside rule?"

Earlier on Tuesday it was announced that Burton was "spoken to and warned" about his remarks and that he will not be involved in Sky's coverage of Wednesday's Carling Cup tie between Birmingham and West Ham.

Gray and Keys have been the face of Sky Sports' football coverage since the satellite broadcaster started showing English top-flight matches in 1992.

Massey was set to officiate at the Crewe match but Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO) decided to withdraw her from duty.

PGMO general manager Mike Riley said: "PGMO and Sian believe that with any football match the focus should not be on the officials but on the players and the game itself. That is only fair to those connected with the clubs and their supporters.

"Sian is an excellent professional who has unwittingly found herself in the middle of a story that has nothing to do with her competence as a match official.

"Sian only wants to be notable for her performance as an assistant referee and is keen for things to get back to normal so she can return to officiating as soon as possible.

"Sian has the full backing of PGMO and we hope she continues her development, which has shown excellent progress so far.

"It is important for PGMO to have talented people from all backgrounds getting involved in refereeing. The more people are attracted to the game the better standards will be and the more everyone can talk about the football."

Before it was announced that Gray had been sacked, Arthur Smith, general secretary of the Referees' Association, told BBC Sport's Dan Roan that Massey was hurt by the comments.

"They were utterly inappropriate and totally sexist," said Arthur, who represents 11,000 referees in the UK. "It has no part of the game. I don't consider it harmless banter at all.

"I have spoken to Sian. She's fine. She's got that game on merit, she's worked really hard, and it does hurt you. You overcome it, you move forward."

The comments from Gray and Keys have been widely criticised in football circles, with England captain Rio Ferdinand and West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady voicing their disapproval.

Tottenham director Donna Cullen believes opinions towards females in football have changed in recent years and that Massey had earned the right to officiate a Premier League match.

Am exhausted. Just read about something called 'the offside rule'

Kenny Dalglish's daughter Kelly on Twitter
"In a male-dominated sport you are always going to get the odd remark, but in more than 20 years of working in football I cannot say sexist remarks like that have ever been an issue for me," she said.

"I believe I am treated as an honorary male in football, and I don't believe being female has anything to do with my work.

"Things have changed a lot. Twenty years ago some clubs did not find it acceptable to have female directors in the boardroom, but that has changed enormously."

Former England women's cricket captain Rachael Heyhoe-Flint was one of the few to offer public support to Keys and Gray, describing their exchange as "banter".

"I know Richard and Andy very well indeed," she told BBC Radio 5 live. "These were tongue-in-cheek comments and we are blowing something enormously out of proportion here."

The sexism debate even cropped up in Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish's news conference on Monday.

At the start, Dalglish jokingly asked Sky's male reporter whether he minded that there was a woman present.

The Scot's daughter Kelly Cates, a former presenter on Sky Sports News, joked on her Twitter account: "Phew, am exhausted. Just read about something called 'the offside rule'. Too much for my tiny brain. Must be damaged from nail polish fumes."

Former Manchester United boss Ron Atkinson, who resigned from his position as ITV co-commentator in April 2004 after making an off-air racist comment, suggested Gray may have been unfortunate to lose his job.

Atkinson told BBC Radio 5 Live: "I don't know the full story but on the evidence of what I've just heard and what I've read I think a suspension would have been the correct decision."

Maybe now Sky will have a decent commentator on their big games. Andy Gray has been passed it for a while now.

I just wish someone could knock up a recording of Richard Keys denying the holocaust as he is even worse!!

I just hope they don't give Jamie Redknapp his gig.

Looks like Keys is in the same boat now anyway, E!

I wonder what Andy Gray said to Charlotte Jackson?

Could it have been something along the lines of:

"You can get anything you want baby, you want my room number? You wanna be like be a real man?"

"Say something nice and I'll make you scream twice!"

"Do you want to be mesmermized by the physical phenomenon?"

or most likely:

"See when I have my freaks horizontal, they understand size, they appreciate size, and size does matter. And they know that they don't have to wait for the earth to rotate on a 47-degree axis so the stars can smuck the sky and create a equalax, so they can see the big dipper. No no no. All they gotta do is call up the big Poppa, cause I'm the man with the big dipper, and satisfaction's comin when I gobehine and do the bump'n'grind and its only a matter of time before they call me the BIG BAD BOOTY DADDY!"