that’s a red card: Sky sacks pundit Andy Gray

The presenter, already in trouble over remarks he made about a female assistant referee, was fired in relation to an off-air incident that happened last month.

His dismissal was announced as websites began showing footage of Gray asking a female presenter to help him tuck his microphone into his trousers. Lawyers Schillings said they had been instructed by the presenter over the termination of his contract.

It came as Sian Massey, the assistant referee at the centre of the row, withdrew from running the line at last night’s match between Crewe Alexandra and Bradford City.

Gray and co-presenter Richard Keys were disciplined after they were recorded agreeing off air that female officials “don’t know the offside rule” and claiming Ms Massey would make a mistake during Wolves’ home game against Liverpool on Saturday.

And a third presenter, Andy Burton, has been stood down from covering a match tonight after footage emerged of him referring to Ms Massey as a “bit of a looker” ahead of the same match in a conversation with Gray.

Peter Reid, who played alongside Gray at Everton and is now manager of Plymouth Argyle, said the sacking was “unfair” and suggested it might be linked to the presenter’s pursuit of legal action in relation to alleged phone-hacking by the News of the World – a subsidiary of News Corporation, which owns a large stake in BSkyB and is seeking to buy the whole company.

“The comments weren’t great, but I think it was a joke and I have got a feeling they might be linked in some way.”