The hilariously funny controversy surrounding comments by Sky Sports presenters Richard Keys and Andy Gray took a new twist on Tuesday when reporter Andy Burton was disciplined by Sky for referring to assistant referee Sian Massey as 'a bit of a looker.' Later, it was confirmed that Gray had been booted out of the door by Sky 'with immediate effect.' Burton was stood down from Wednesday night's Carling Cup semi-final second leg between Birmingham and West Ham after footage emerged of him remarking on the appearance of Massey during Saturday's game between Wolves and Liverpool. It followed Sky Sports' decision to remove Keys and Gray from duty before Monday night's Premier League game between Bolton and Moscow Chelski FC after both were recorded making off-air remarks about Massey. Burton became implicated in the controversy after Sky Sports' sister station Sky News broadcast footage of a touchline conversation between him and Gray prior to Saturday's Premier League game between Wolves and Liverpool. Burton says: 'Apparently, a female lino today, bit of a looker according to Steve the cameraman.' Gray responds: 'A female linesman?' Before the touchline reporter adds: 'He says she's all right. I don't know if I should trust his judgment on that.' Gray then says: 'Nah, I wouldn't.' It is unknown at this time whether Steve the cameraman will face any disciplinary action as well. Burton has previously hit the headlines in 2007 after being involved in a pub fight with Richard Bacon. Keys and Gray were recorded before the same match questioning Massey's appointment for the fixture, claiming that women 'don't know the offside rule.' 
Sky Sports insisted that Keys and Gray had not been sacked for their disparaging remarks but was unable to confirm exactly when the duo - who have been the faces of the network's football coverage for two decades - would be back on the air. Hours later came the confirmation that Sky had terminated Gray's contract '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.' 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.' It is not clear whether the incident in question is a YouTube clip which emerged on Tuesday that appeared to show Gray making lewd and suggestive comments to co-presenter Charlotte Jackson before going on-air. The former Everton, Aston Villa and Scotland striker, believed to be on a seven-figure salary and a key component in Sky Sports' growth story over twenty years, recently began legal action against the News of the World – another arm of Rupert Murdoch's empire – over phone hacking allegations. With this weekend being the fourth round of the FA Cup, for which Sky do not hold the live rights, the next presenting opportunity for Keys would appear to be the Premier League match between West Brom and Wigan on Tuesday week. 
Or, yer actual Keith Telly Topping's beloved (though still unsellable) Magpies visit to Fulham the night afterwards. That is if he's still a Sky employee by then. Massey, meanwhile, was due to be back in the spotlight on Tuesday when she was scheduled to the line in Crewe's League Two game with Bradford. However, a few hours before the match the PMGO confirmed that Massey had been withdrawn from the fixture, whilst stressing that this decision had nothing whatsoever to do with any question about her ability. 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.' Old Hairy-hands Keys reportedly telephoned the official on Sunday night to apologise for his remarks. Gray did not call Massey to say sorry but Sky Sports insisted that Keys had done so on behalf of them both. A spokesman told Press Association Sport that Sian had accepted Keys' apology, adding: 'It wasn't a case of Andy not apologising. It doesn't really make sense for both of them to call.' Well to be fair, it didn't really make sense for the pair of numskull dinosaurs to make the bloody comments in the first place. But they did, didn't they? It was not known whether Burton would be making a similar apology and neither is it known whether Keys has apologised to West Ham United vice-chairman Karren Brady, whom he also disparaged for suggesting that sexism was rife in the game. 
Brady said that Keys and Gray's comments about Massey 'make my blood boil' and she was joined by a number of anti-discrimination groups and many others within the game in condemning the pair's remarks. Sky Sports' managing director Barney Francis issued a statement on Monday, which read: 'Those views are inexcusable, entirely inconsistent with our ethos as a business and employer, and will rightly offend many of our customers, our people, and the wider public. They are inexcusable from anyone at Sky, regardless of their role or seniority. We have dealt with this matter by taking immediate disciplinary action. As with any employee it would not be right to go into detail on those proceedings. However, they have been clearly warned about their behaviour and reminded of their responsibilities.' The decision to stand the duo down from Monday night's broadcast saw Sky disband their usual Isleworth-based studio operation, with a new team sent at the last minute to Bolton. The programme was presented by David Jones instead of Keys, while Jamie Redknapp and Eidur Gudjohnsen were drafted in as pundits and Sam Allardyce joined Martin Tyler in Gray's usual place in the commentary box. Meanwhile, it has emerged that the Football Association switchboard was inundated with calls yesterday from women inquiring about becoming officials. 
Rumours that the first question they will be asked is 'do you understand the offside rule' cannot, at this time, be confirmed or denied. Meanwhile, the Daily Scum Mail which first broke the story on Sunday was, itself, the centre of controversy after a piece on the continuing story contained a photograph of Sian Massey - apparently taken from her My Space page - which showed her dancing at a party. And, they weren't alone, either. Take the Sun, for instance. Many readers of these scum tabloids may well be asking themselves if using such an image in a context such as this isn't, in and of itself, an example of crass and exploitative sexism from a bunch of sick hypocrite lice. And wondering if, for example, a story broke about Howard Webb being criticised by two of Sky's team, whether the Scum Mail or the Sun would be quite so quick to find a topless photo of him on the beach on holiday to illustrate the story with.
Sky Sports insisted that Keys and Gray had not been sacked for their disparaging remarks but was unable to confirm exactly when the duo - who have been the faces of the network's football coverage for two decades - would be back on the air. Hours later came the confirmation that Sky had terminated Gray's contract '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.' 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.' It is not clear whether the incident in question is a YouTube clip which emerged on Tuesday that appeared to show Gray making lewd and suggestive comments to co-presenter Charlotte Jackson before going on-air. The former Everton, Aston Villa and Scotland striker, believed to be on a seven-figure salary and a key component in Sky Sports' growth story over twenty years, recently began legal action against the News of the World – another arm of Rupert Murdoch's empire – over phone hacking allegations. With this weekend being the fourth round of the FA Cup, for which Sky do not hold the live rights, the next presenting opportunity for Keys would appear to be the Premier League match between West Brom and Wigan on Tuesday week. 
Or, yer actual Keith Telly Topping's beloved (though still unsellable) Magpies visit to Fulham the night afterwards. That is if he's still a Sky employee by then. Massey, meanwhile, was due to be back in the spotlight on Tuesday when she was scheduled to the line in Crewe's League Two game with Bradford. However, a few hours before the match the PMGO confirmed that Massey had been withdrawn from the fixture, whilst stressing that this decision had nothing whatsoever to do with any question about her ability. 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.' Old Hairy-hands Keys reportedly telephoned the official on Sunday night to apologise for his remarks. Gray did not call Massey to say sorry but Sky Sports insisted that Keys had done so on behalf of them both. A spokesman told Press Association Sport that Sian had accepted Keys' apology, adding: 'It wasn't a case of Andy not apologising. It doesn't really make sense for both of them to call.' Well to be fair, it didn't really make sense for the pair of numskull dinosaurs to make the bloody comments in the first place. But they did, didn't they? It was not known whether Burton would be making a similar apology and neither is it known whether Keys has apologised to West Ham United vice-chairman Karren Brady, whom he also disparaged for suggesting that sexism was rife in the game. 
Brady said that Keys and Gray's comments about Massey 'make my blood boil' and she was joined by a number of anti-discrimination groups and many others within the game in condemning the pair's remarks. Sky Sports' managing director Barney Francis issued a statement on Monday, which read: 'Those views are inexcusable, entirely inconsistent with our ethos as a business and employer, and will rightly offend many of our customers, our people, and the wider public. They are inexcusable from anyone at Sky, regardless of their role or seniority. We have dealt with this matter by taking immediate disciplinary action. As with any employee it would not be right to go into detail on those proceedings. However, they have been clearly warned about their behaviour and reminded of their responsibilities.' The decision to stand the duo down from Monday night's broadcast saw Sky disband their usual Isleworth-based studio operation, with a new team sent at the last minute to Bolton. The programme was presented by David Jones instead of Keys, while Jamie Redknapp and Eidur Gudjohnsen were drafted in as pundits and Sam Allardyce joined Martin Tyler in Gray's usual place in the commentary box. Meanwhile, it has emerged that the Football Association switchboard was inundated with calls yesterday from women inquiring about becoming officials. 
Rumours that the first question they will be asked is 'do you understand the offside rule' cannot, at this time, be confirmed or denied. Meanwhile, the Daily Scum Mail which first broke the story on Sunday was, itself, the centre of controversy after a piece on the continuing story contained a photograph of Sian Massey - apparently taken from her My Space page - which showed her dancing at a party. And, they weren't alone, either. Take the Sun, for instance. Many readers of these scum tabloids may well be asking themselves if using such an image in a context such as this isn't, in and of itself, an example of crass and exploitative sexism from a bunch of sick hypocrite lice. And wondering if, for example, a story broke about Howard Webb being criticised by two of Sky's team, whether the Scum Mail or the Sun would be quite so quick to find a topless photo of him on the beach on holiday to illustrate the story with.
