Unless you've not turned on a Television or Radio over the past week, you will have heard about the whole Richard Keys and Andy Gray sexism saga. The off-air conversation between the two about Sian Masseys knowledge of the offside rule has been big news for the majority of the week. I never thought that it would become as bigger story as it has done. Even my father-in-law who detests football with a passion was asking my opinion on it!
To repeat what Keys said in his interview with TalkSPORT on repeat for most of the hour, what he and Gray said was wrong. It shouldn't have been said and has possibly tarnished the excellent work made by the various governing bodies in football to involve women in the modern game. There is no place for it in my opinion.
Judging by what I have seen in the last few years and this blog entry from someone who claims to be an employee or ex-employee of Sky Sports, Keys and Gray have been allowed too much of a free rein and letting them get away with it. For the past 20 years the pair of them have taken live football to a new level with how the shows they were involved with have been presented and the technology used. Gray's analysis of the game has proved to be second to none over the years. In it's early years his own show named 'Andy Gray's Bootroom' with the use of Subbuteo in the middle of a mock dressing room demonstrated his flair as a broadcaster. As many an armchair football fan like myself know, this went onto become a major feature of Monday Night Football, updated with the light pen on the screen and a stack of video tapes. This seems a far cry from the latest incarnation with the touch screen and the iPad! Keys was essential in that he hung on every word that Gray said and made up a formidable partnership. The trouble is that they knew it, got too complacent and have run the show for a good few years.
If the New Statesmans blog is to be believed, and Keys comments on TalkSPORT about 'dark forces being at work here' along with the release of the anonymous video clips on Youtube, it's obvious to me that someone has wanted them to go from Sky Sports. They have been presented with the opportunity to put them in a bad light and then added fuel to the situation over the course of the few days that followed. For this reason, I do think they've been stitched up. However, they shouldn't have given whoever released these clips cause to release them.
The fact that Keys and Gray will no longer be working for Sky Sports leaves a few questions unanswered in my eyes. Who will replace them at Sky (that is of course if they need to be replaced)? How will there football coverage go forward from this? Finally, what now for Keys and Gray?
The question of replacements and the shape of the output form hereon in is crucial for Sky and how much football coverage they will retain when the contracts are next up for renewal. Do they try and keep the style and format pioneered by Keys and Gray? If so, who would be able to carry it off? I don't think that this can be done as they were unique in what they did. Anybody who tried to copy it or emulate it, tried and failed. Remember the dreadful Tactics Truck with Andy Townsend on ITV's The Premiership?
Certainly for the foreseeable future, Sky will revert back to a host and guests/pundit format in a studio at the ground where the live game is being played. They already have good solid hosts on the books in the form of Dave Jones, Ben Shephard and Jeff Stelling who could make it work. I saw earlier today that Jeff was the bookies favourite as the permanent replacement. However, having read Jeff's book, I don't think he'll want to do it long term. We will unfortunately be stuck with Jamie Redknapp for the time being. There's plenty of other pundits which they tend to use who can appear also.
I do believe that Sky may have to try and come up with something new and innovative long term though, if they are to be successful in retain the amount of Premier League rights they have. If they do, will they look outside of Sky for the on screen personnel to implement it? I see this as a fundamental development, if they are to retain the rights that they currently own.
This leaves the question of filling the co-commentary gap left by Gray. How best to fill that role? There aren't that many co-commentators who I consider to be as good as him, or even offer a great deal more to the game we are viewing. Therefore I think that Sky may struggle here. Naturally I think that Alan Smith may step up, but I find that he can only work with the right commentator at the side of him. Otherwise, the voices of both seem to make the broadcast dull and boring.
Another candidate I see is Davie Provan who has worked on Football First games and Scottish Football. An articulate co-commentator who talks a good game and isn't too controversial. Or will they look outside of Sky again for a replacement?
Keys and Gray are now seen as controversial characters and I suspect that many broadcasters will not even entertain the idea of employing either of them. It is rumoured that they are in negotiations with Al Jazeera to front their coverage. Won't they tied into a contract with their various hosts they already use such as Gary Lineker and Angus Scott? Money won't necessarily be an use for the Middle East outfit though will it?
As you can probably tell, I've thought about this alot over the last week. I've taken an interest how football is broadcast for many years, and this makes the whole story all the more fascinating as the knock on effects of their departures unfold.
