Its changed things for me because most weeks Id turn up at a ground knowing I needed someone around the bottom end of the table to lose games, and that gave most games an added interest. Well, actually, you can.. As Xabi Alonso can testify, Nigel de Jong isnt one to pull out of a challenge. The incident, we should have seen coming, he says. They had accumulated so much credit and fame and power that they looked untouchable at the pinnacle of British sports broadcasting. This was the moment, above all others, when Keys vendetta took a personal turn and the rest of us began stockpiling popcorn in anticipation of what would happen next. We all laughed, she was a little embarrassed, Keys says. He often makes fun of others for their loyalties such as Campbell for Burnley and someone else for Leicester but who does he support? WebChelsea FC - He is listed under the ' famous fans ' section of there web site. How he (Scudamore) ever got away with that, I will never know, Keys says. The next day another tape emerged, of Gray discussing Masseys looks with another colleague, Andy Burton. Francis shadowed Vic Wakeling, the man who made Sky Sports what it was, before taking over the main job in 2009. It really wasnt. On top of that, United are looking to win their first piece of silverware in six years next Sunday when they take on Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley. On a Monday, they would have their planning meetings with producers in the Sky Sports canteen, going through videos, planning the show. Jack Pitt-Brooke is a football journalist for The Athletic based in London. So if any good came of it, maybe that did., Man United won a controversial penalty last night against Aston Villa. There is said to be a consciousness about what constitutes appropriate behaviour and language that was missing in the past. 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. So, when Keys attempted to backtrack slightly after his Fulham rant, the former Netherlands midfielder held the knitted puppet to account in characteristic style. It was like there was a murderer on the loose, says one insider, and bodies kept being found.. Hancock spotted wearing Toon shirt hed promised to auction off for NHS during EFL Cup final, Watfords Ken Sema praised for his bravery after doing post-match interview while struggling with stammer, Douglas Ross responds after huge banner is unveiled during a Scottish Cup match he was refereeing, You dont get to say this: FIFA slammed over support for high-profile gay footballer, Arsenal squad depth image gets fans looking forward to new season, Elevenses: Fear and Loathing in the New Conservatives. So one member of the team asked whether they could have a life-sized stuffed elephant in their studio for the duration of the show, to never once be mentioned during the three hours on-air. Weghorst has scored one goal in nine appearances, but you can't fault his commitment to the team. This is all wrong, he says. What happened to me was recorded on a telephone in that studio, it seems to me it was done with a specific purpose. Im desperate for them to get back. The Red Devils find themselves five points behind league leaders Arsenal after only losing one game since the World Cup break, ironically away to the Gunners last month. New mum Kelly Osbourne shares first photo of baby son Sidney as he hangs out with fun uncle Jack, The Beckhams turn heads in stylish outfits on Brooklyns birthday after putting on united front with Nicola Peltz, Ron Jeremys sister wants him to be placed under a conservatorship amid rape trial ruling due to dementia, Bruce Willis, 67, spotted for first time as he steps out for coffee in Santa Monica after sharing dementia diagnosis, Saving Private Ryan actor Tom Sizemore dies aged 61 after brain aneurysm, Do not sell or share my personal information. After sacking Gray, worse was yet to come for Sky Sports and Keys when a fourth and final video emerged late on the Tuesday night. Newcastle booked their I lacked pace and movement, and probably ability as well so there are some basic things missing. The former Sky Sports presenter broke his silence with an apologists masterclass on behalf of his new homeland, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, Richard Keys said he has found Qataris 'a delight to do business with'. pic.twitter.com/Gq2mXRUFUm, Richard Keys (@richardajkeys) April 23, 2022. FC Barcelona confirmed the incident and said the player and his wife are doing well. Keys: Somebody better get down there and explain offside to her (Massey)., Gray: Yeah, I know. WebWho does Richard Keys work for? Martin Keown absolutely rinsing Richard Keys and defending Arteta, Inject ittt pic.twitter.com/9jQ6JQ6Kyu, Rory Talks Football (@Rory_Talks_Ball) January 6, 2023. If England are playing, he is genuinely neutral. "@richardajkeys & Andy Gray's reaction as the Gunners make it 4 wins out of 4#beINPL #ARSFUL pic.twitter.com/nIcZX6Ij1b, Only three clubs in Europe's top five leagues still remain perfect Arsenal4/4 winsReal Madrid3/3 winsReal Betis3/3 wins pic.twitter.com/lpSS0UtOka, What a team spirit and an incredible Support from the fans @arsenal #gunners pic.twitter.com/8DjUVuQdxn, Nigel De Jong, take a bow. Ive done a few and theyre great fun. Saturday, January 22, 2011. Somewhere in Doha, Keysie just cracked open a bottle of champagne. It has never been more of an inclusive place than it is today, now it is starting to make the cultural changes it intended 10 years ago. Pep Guardiola staying calm despite Manchester Citys winning run, Manchester City easily beat West Brom 5-0 on Tuesday, Pep Guardiola chose not to follow Richard Keys' advice to hire Sam Allardyce. My god, it could not have been more private. Soon after Keys and Gray left, Soccer AM decided to quietly do away with its Soccerette segment, believing it no longer had a place in 2011. For some time Ive been working on a theory that Richard Keys is a double agent, whose fawning posts about the Qatar powers-that-be place him so far beyond the realms of useful idiocy that the former Sky Sports presenter can only be working on behalf of those who seek fatally to undermine the emirate. I was being fed a huge amount of guff from our press office, Keys says. It can't be that hard. So if any good came of it, maybe that did., Keys and Gray, who are still working together, bumped into Massey-Ellis at Birmingham Airport recently. When Coventry lost at Aston Villa on the last day of last season, I was resigned to accepting relegation so I was mellow, but during the course of that season I was very highly strung. No, Im looking forward to completing the next 1,000 matches. Pen was soft but he shouldve taken Holding off. How dare the opposition try to win? Its sad to witness. Keys then added: "He's got 60 people around him. Yes, well give Keysie this one; it was strange that Arsenal chose Arteta over Carlo Ancelotti in December 2019 especially given the latters success with Real Madrid. Well, his disregard of technical area etiquette, if his reaction to Artetas behaviour during their victory over Manchester United in April 2022 is anything to go by. Try a week on us. He joined in 2019 after nine years at The Independent. Every other coach has to stay in his area but not Arteta it seems. Its headquarters in Osterley, Keys and Grays own domain, was besieged by journalists from other organisations. Female sports broadcasters such as Alex Scott, here interviewing Petr Cech, now appear more regularly on TV (Photo: David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images). She has been brilliant. During the group stages, the pandas make their selections from three bamboo baskets denoting a win, a loss or a draw. I cant hide the fact I find him extremely irritating, waving his arms around like a windmill for 90 minutes, as if anybody can hear him. These events have often been described as a moment in time, a phrase that must mean an event that encapsulated an era or a way of doing things, especially the transition from one to the other. Guess the gender of his target, In the last of our series, Richard Keys and Andy Gray take to the airwaves for the first time after their ignominious Sky Sports exit, UTV Media's sports radio station reports 13% fall in operating profits in part due to 'increased investment' in presenters. Richard Keys thinks Manchester United are effectively playing with ten men when they include Wout Weghorst in the team. Theyve beaten Fulham. Keys did call her to apologise, Massey told the Times in 2017. Didnt realise there was different celebration types! Richard Keys says he will be supporting Newcastle when they take on Manchester United in the Carabao Cup final later this month. So dont ever think that it was. The 3-0 reverse, thatd ultimately cost the Gunners a Champions League place, saw Keys label Arteta as mini-mealluding to the fact that he believed the Arsenal boss to be nothing more than a second-rate Pep Guardiola. If you can, please show your appreciation for our free content by donating whatever you think is fair to help keep TLE growing and support real, independent, investigative journalism. That evening, the Mail On Sunday newspaper published a story that the pair had been recorded making sexist comments about assistant referee Sian Massey after a controversial but ultimately correct offside decision. Richard Keys divorced his wife with cancer and slept with his daughters friend.Andy Gray sacked for making derogatory, sexist comments about female referee Sian Massey and other female figures in football. Richard Keys has been left red-faced following his suggestion that Pep Guardiola should turn to Sam Allardyce for defensive help after Manchester City thrashed West Brom 5-0. Richard Keysand Andy Gray are now living in Qatar and working for beIN SPORTS. Its fantastic because it shows they care. Keys couches his response to the Sunday Timess allegations of widespread chicanery in the 2022 World Cup bid process as his caving into an irresistible clamour for him to break hissilence and having done so, offers an apologists masterclass. Whenever we do anything head-to-head, whether it be golf or even tossing a coin, he will always win. "Any of these teams have shaped teams defensively, haven't they.". At last the window has slammed shut. Colleagues wondered whether they could even mention them, given it felt like an embarrassing family drama playing out in full view of the world. #afc, Adam Keys (@adamkeys_) January 15, 2023. Richard Keys (@richardajkeys) September 2, 2022. Expect a dossier, complete with diagrams and screenshots, on the FAs desk by the end of today. But no one denies that its being undertaken asI write., Come on, Keys entreats of the disputed Qatari bid. Does anyone know if Hammond supports one? While Gray was sacked after a separate leak showed the pundit making sexist comments about official Sian Massey-Ellis. WebGet the latest on Tampa Bay Buccaneers CB Richard Sherman including news, stats, videos, and more on CBSSports.com . She was a little embarrassed, he added. However, Keys believes the whole episode was a set-up and that himself or Gray have never been caught making such comments on-air. Thats when you realise that however much you wanted to be a footballer as a kid, you were never going to be able to. Richard Keys has gone in two-footed on Gabby Agbonlahor, seemingly for no reason, starting a war of words with the talkSPORT presenter. But they made capital out of it. ", Ramsdale to start of the Macarena in front of Clock End if we beat Villa on Wednesday night. FT: @Arsenal 2-1 @FulhamFC "They're over celebrating this It's a 2-1 win against newly promoted Fulham! It was a story that connected every form of media: broken initially by a Sunday newspaper, picked up by the dailies, fuelled by the internet and the virality of the clips themselves, moving onto an anonymous YouTube account, climaxing on commercial radio. Richard had spoken. Jeremy supports Chelsea because his son does, before that he didn't care about football at all. How best to look back on all this 10 years later? Having made it clear that Artetas mere existence irked him, Keys relished the opportunity to stick the boot in following Arsenals crucial defeat at Tottenham in May. Chapeau. The International Centre for Sports Security is on its journey towards credibility so why not turn to Richard Keys? All Rights Reserved. Doha government contests blog claiming 1,200 migrant workers have died on World Cup construction sites - but article has been repeated across the world, Louise Glass was centre of the sexism row involving former Sky Sports pundits Richard Keys and Andy Gray. This job has got Sams name all over it.. Arsenal and Mikel Arteta have not just made themselves favourites for the Premier League, theyve ruffled the feathers of a certain Richard Keys Yeah, well played, you came back to win it and they keep their 100 per cent record intact. Once we get to the knockouts, the flags of the various nations still in the draw will be pinned to trees, with the pandas invited to scale the relevant trunk. pic.twitter.com/FI2SvkcXTZ, Just re-watched it and Richard Keys does indeed refer to Bernd Leno as Jay Leno. Just soak in 150 seconds of Keys getting his backside handed to him. Related: Arsenal squad depth image gets fans looking forward to new season, View our Privacy PolicyandTerms & Conditions, TheLondonEconomic.com Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle. Laura Woods has slated Richard Keys after he called out Arsenal fans for "over-celebrating" their 2-1 win over newly-promoted side Fulham yesterday. Irritating? Game-changing news in the Fifa corruption war, as Qatar unveils its Lord Haw-Haw. So it was not long into Francis tenure that he was presented with this, a stream of evidence of his two biggest names making deeply inappropriate comments when they did not know they were being filmed. Ebony Rainford-Brent on cricket, Anna Woolhouse on boxing and Sarah Stirk on golf all point to a fairer distribution of opportunities than was the case in the past. And everybodys forgotten!. Why is Arteta allowed to spend the game on the touch line? Keys, speaking to The Athletic from Qatar, says he had been repeatedly told by Sky Sports to apologise for his comments. By doing it out of the blue in the January, halfway through the season, it was naturally hurting the quality of its coverage. First, to Qatar land of the most impressive backhand in the game, where the brain drain triggered by Sky Sports parting company with Keys and Andy Gray is once again laid bare. That, in short, is the cultural change of the last 10 years, the cultural change of which Keys and Gray fell foul. I used to knock a ball about, but very badly. Fri, 19 Feb, 2021 - 20:13. Keys stressed that Leeds would have been better going for a survival specialist in the shape of Sam Allardyce. pic.twitter.com/PYqrpFvb9s, Richard Keys (@richardajkeys) September 4, 2022. That was his fault. Francis declined to be interviewed for this story but, according to multiple sources familiar with his thinking at the time, it came down to behaviour and culture. I felt for Arsenal fans nothing to celebrate on deadline day. The way Richard sees it, this latest assault on the Qataris is bordering on hysteria and racism. I saw that Andy [Gray] and I were trending Sunday after I suggested Big Sam should take charge until the summer. It is hard to forecast whether the Germans will feel moved to serve up diplomatic retaliation in the form of a conspiracy theory of their own as the World Cup progresses but both countries ambassadors are advised to keep a bag packed for the duration of the tournament. Former Sky Sports presenter Richard Keys has said that he and his colleague Andy Gray were set-up before their departures from the broadcasters 10 If you talk to our match reporter, Geoff Shreeves, hell tell you Im highly strung, but others would say Im fairly mellow. But for Sky Sports leadership, that was a price worth paying to set the right standards of behaviour. Richard Keys (born 23 April 1957) is an English sports presenter who has worked for BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky, Talksport, Al Jazeera, Fox Sports, ESPN Star My fear is and Ive said it for a long time now, that the guy in the middle there [Arteta] is the one thats most to blame for the inflammatory behaviour on the touchline. Football coverage might be a little less confrontational than when Atkinson and Keegan lost their little battles in the spring of 1996, but those silly machines have ultimately won the war. Er no, and that includes George Best hes never let us down. We do not charge or put articles behind a paywall. It really wasnt. Just dont expect Keys to believe a word that comes out of your brain-washed mouth. Mitrovics goal, his 100th for Fulham and his fourth of the season already more than he managed in the entirety of their relegation campaign two years ago gave the visitors hope of continuing their own unbeaten start to the season. City, meanwhile, returned to the top, and Guardiola's defensive worries look to be nothing but a distant memory. The former Premier League chief executive apologised for his inappropriate comments, calling them an error of judgement. None of this works. The reinvention of Andy Gray and Richard Keys The two disgraced former Sky football presenters are offering their 'banter' on the after-dinner speaking circuit. https://t.co/ok3jeISB6Z, Richard Keys (@richardajkeys) January 12, 2023. Andy has become a very good operator journalistically, hes very sharp. Massey, a 25-year-old official who only wanted to do her job, found herself at the centre of a storm; one that she had done nothing to create. In response, Martin Keown showed all the ruthlessness of his playing days by two-footing the beIN presenter. Within 48 hours, the story had become one of the biggest in the country. Also, you should have seen Alan Shearer when we went to Germany and won 5-1. Sky Sports is a very different place now. Former Sky Sports anchor Richard Keys has revealed he has heard Leeds Uniteds part owners the 49ers wanted to appoint Jesse Marsch as their manager last summer. In June 2013 it was confirmed that Al Jazeera had agreed a contract with former Sky Sports football presenters, Richard Keys and Andy Gray. They both present from Doha in Qatar and present football including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, and FA Cup. Richard Keys believes Manchester United are currently playing with '10 men' despite their fine form under Erik ten Hag. The beIN SPORTS presenter suggested that Allardyce may be able to offer assistance in helping Manchester City with their defensive issues. "He (Guardiola) could go and watch Roy Hodgson work, or bring Sam Allardyce in on a temporary basis. Keys and Gray, seen here in 2012, have continued to work together after leaving Sky Sports (Photo: Tim Whitby/Getty Images). Mitrovic The Brazil defender was badly caught out by Aleksandar Masseys career has gone from strength to strength over the decade since. Ive turned that to my advantage now so, if there are a few of us going to play golf, Ill play with him because when hes on your side, everything will go your way. On-air, that has never been an allegation you could throw at myself or Andy, he says, making a distinction that maybe matters less than he might think. Maybe he has another coach who does the back four.". And frankly, who are we to opine on how other nations fill that Alan Shearer-shaped hole in their forecasting models? Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Jesse Lingard could be set for Man United return due to wage demands, John Terry pokes fun at himself over Sergio Agueros World Cup celebrations, Leinster issue positive update on Tadhg Furlong injury, FAI announce significant increase in League of Ireland attendances, Munster v Leinster: TV details, team news and kick-off time, Bath confirm signing of Finn Russell from Racing 92, Connacht v Ulster: TV details, team news and kick-off time, Argentina miss out on top spot in Fifa World Rankings, Irish EPCR team of the weekend for Round Two, Eddie Jones picks out his biggest mistake as England head coach, Micah Richards credits Richard Dunne with helping him through borderline bullying of early career, Emi Martinezs remarkable journey from League Two to World Cup glory. The rest of the team follow. Keys would practically produce the whole thing himself. However, presenter Richard Keys who slammed the players and manager for celebrating their win. Richard Keys (@richardajkeys) May 13, 2022. From one emerging football market to another, meanwhile, as China launches an audaciously cutesy bid to steal the limelight at a tournament for which they have not qualified before or since 2002. On Soccer AM, the flagship Saturday morning show, Kelly Cates hosts Premier League football. pic.twitter.com/y3GtFi8ktg. Theyre four games into the season. But above all, it centred on television, the stars in front of the camera, and the type of behaviour and language broadcasters and viewers expected of them. While Andy Gray, unexpectedly cast as the voice of reason, opined his feeling that the bridges were burnt between Arteta and Ozil, Keys somehow resisted the urge to speculate on how Sam Allardyce wouldve dealt with the situation. They talk about Beckham, but Gray was the original golden balls. But they made capital out of it., He claims that there was a campaign orchestrated against him and his on-screen partner. We worked with him for a season and he was always on time and ready to go. The pair now ply their trade in Doha, youll recall, with Keys personal blog offering a mixture of completely missable biggame analysis, and sledgehammer sympathy for those of us left behind in the yesterdayville of Blighty. Leeds have conceded 60 goals in just 26 Premier League games so far this season and will be looking for Marsch to tighten them up at the back quickly. Last week, when she ruled a full-speed Timo Werner just offside in the Leicester vs Chelsea game and was vindicated by the technology, she was widely praised for getting such a difficult call correct. And long may the change continue., (Top photos: Getty Images; design: Sam Richardson). Andy wasnt live when he was stood pitchside. Keys still believes that his enemies set out to destroy his and Grays careers. Did Arsenal get the wrong man in Mikel Arteta? However, presenter Richard Keys who slammed the players and manager for celebrating their win. Keys made his first but by no means last reference to the dark forces he believed were at work against him. Theres much work to be done on workers rights and various freedoms, he concedes of Qatar. WebRichard Keys (born 23 April 1957 in Coventry) is an English sports presenter with a career starting in 1976 when he moved initially to London. Despite all that, Keys isn't having it. By Jason Deans, The two disgraced former Sky football presenters are offering their 'banter' on the after-dinner speaking circuit. When we started out, we felt we had to do something slightly different, and those jackets certainly were. Yes, very much so. Well done @GeoffShreeves Still the master in the tunnel. Theyve won nothing. "He did before. But were getting ahead of ourselves. But, with Arsenal struggling at the wrong end of the Premier League table, Keys used his extensive managerial experience to offer Arteta some advice on player management. TRY A QUIZ:Can you name Arsenals XI from Arsene Wengers last match as boss? For Arsenal fans, Saturday's win over Fulham was just as sweet as Richard Keys' post-match reaction was salty.. Gabriel's late winner sealed a 2-1 victory for the Gunners as they maintained their 100% record to remain top of the Premier League, sparking jubilant scenes around the Emirates at full time.. Former Sky Sports presenter Keys now works for Qatar-based beIN SPORTS, and was speaking about the situation back in October. They were linked with a slew of names, including Joao Felix and Alvaro Morata, before settling on the 30-year-old. The smallest things, she gets right. In a certain role, I think he can act very well there and we have seen that. It would certainly need a lot of analysis. I dont think you need to get to this stage, he told beIN SPORTS viewers. Female linesman. Since taking over the Baggies in December, Allardyce and his side have conceded three goals or more on four occasions, and in total they have leaked a massive 24 goals in eight games. BeIN SPORTS anchor Keys thinks they could hit another level with one tweak. Can you get full marks on our ultimate 2000s Premier League quiz? So Francis and Jeremy Darroch, the CEO of Sky, had a decision to make. Even from Qatar, hed managed to get underneath the skin of an entire fanbase and drag them down to his level. They put Allardyce's West Brom to the sword on Wednesday, scoring four first-half goals to effectively end the game as a contest before adding one more in the second half. Richard Keys has blamed Jamie Redknapp for introducing the 'smash it' phrase that contributed to the presenters disgraced departure from Sky Sports. Roles behind the camera were traditionally even more male-dominated but Sarah Cheadle is one of Sky Sports main Premier League directors, Sam Mills produces Soccer Saturday and Sarah Chenery has directed some of their biggest boxing events, including Anthony Joshuas fights against Wladimir Klitschko and Andy Ruiz Jr. He detailed his apology to Massey made over the weekend (she and I enjoyed some banter together) and his frustrated attempt to do the same to Brady (there is no answerphone on Karrens mobile. The 44-year-old journalist, who made his TV debut on TV-am, is a lifelong Coventry fan and sits down tonight to present his 1,000th live match for Sky Sports Liverpool vs Newcastle. That may be a sign of the times at West Ham, I dont know). Photograph: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images, Sunday Timess allegations of widespread chicanery in the 2022 World Cup bid process. Nobody at Talksport knew on that morning this would be one of the biggest days in the stations history. Bruno Fernandes has hit back at Richard Keys recent comments about Manchester United playing with ten men. What could Keys possibly find irritating about a rich, talented, respected andconventionally handsome man like Arteta? The thing that upsets me is that Arteta, particularly, there is better ways to deal with it than that.. Kudos to @NDJ_Official for shutting him down. Can you believe that? Arsenal and Mikel Arteta have not just made themselves favourites for the Premier League, theyve ruffled the feathers of a certain Richard Keys in the process. Those guys operate on a different level. Richard Keys believes Manchester United are currently playing with '10 men' despite their fine form under Erik ten Hag. But Keys couldnt believe that the fans, players and manager were enjoying a win, making it four out of four. Keys has revealed that he has heard Leeds part-owners the 49ers wanted to bring in Marsch last summer, along with two players the American worked with at Red Bull Salzburg in the shape of Takumi Minamino and Brenden Aaronson. Whether his ultimate paymasters are the FA or the Mossad or some Chinese petrochemical cabal is unclear at this stage but when the history books come to be written, they will surely single out one mans mission to pose as the most lavishly obtuse person in the Middle East as an act of singular courage. Its only just recovering now. While acknowledging that there is still work to be done on gender balance in top management roles, female staff talk of an atmosphere that is far more modern than it was a decade ago. Arsenal were fined by the FA for the behaviour of their referee-surrounding players during an FA Cup tie at Oxford. Steady, its Fulham, Keys said to Gray, during beIN SPORTS post-match coverage of Arsenals 2-1 victory. Richard Keys (born 23 April 1957) is an English sports presenter who has worked for BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky, Talksport, Al Jazeera, Fox Sports, ESPN Star Sports , BeIN Sports; and has presented many top-level football matches. Richard Keys said he has found Qataris 'a delight to do business with'. United ran out 3-0 winners over Leicester City on Sunday afternoon thanks to a Marcus Rashford brace and Jadon Sancho's second goal in three Premier League games. Richard Keys is still going on about the Arsenal , Nigel de Jong is spot on here pic.twitter.com/Z6VxDW8YWy, Harry Symeou (@HarrySymeou) August 29, 2022. After Paul the Octopus coiled off this mortal shuffle a few months after the 2010 World Cup, a Chinese film director called Jiang Xiao addressed local conspiracy theories with a film called Who Killed Paul the Octopus?, and declared herself 60-70% convinced that Paul had died before the World Cup final, and the Germans have been covering up his death and fooling us [with a body double] for a long time.