Post by Macmoish on Feb 13, 2011 19:48:40 GMT
Metro -
Richard Keys accused of calling black player 'Choco Jocko' during broadcast
Former Sky Sports presenter Richard Keys has been accused of racism after he was recorded allegedly calling a black football 'choco' during rehearsals.
Former Sky Sports presenter Richard Key (right), pictured here with Andy Gray, has been accused of calling a black player 'choco jocko' Former Sky Sports presenter Richard Key (right), pictured here with Andy Gray, has been accused of calling a black player 'choco jocko' (Pic: PA)
The 53-year-old resigned from Sky last month after becoming caught up in a sexism row following comments he and his fellow presenter Andy Gray made about female assistant referee Sian Massey.
Gray and Keys are due to begin their new jobs on talkSPORT on Monday and will start under a fresh cloud of controversy following the allegations in the Sunday Mirror.
The newspaper alleges Keys made the racist comments during rehearsals for a Sky broadcast with ex-footballers Ray Wilkins and Graeme Souness in 2000.
Discussing Jamaica-born David Johnson and his chances of being called up to the Scotland team, Keys called the striker ‘Choco Jocko’, a joke which was met with embarrassed laughter by the rest of the panel.
On whether the former Ipswich and Nottingham Forest player would be eligible for the Scottish side, Keys is heard in the recording to say: ‘Obviously Johnson, who they’ve [Scotland] courted for some time, like the Welsh, hoped to get involved and it transpires he has an English mother which means he can only play for England apparently.
'He was born in Jamaica and has played for them.'
Former Chelsea assistant manager Wilkins then begins asking: 'Is it, is he not?', before Souness interrupts and declared: ‘He looks like a Jock doesn’t he?’
To which Keys responds: ‘Choco Jocko’.
David Johnson said he was 'very disappointed' by the alleged comments David Johnson said he was 'very disappointed' by the alleged comments (Pic: Getty)
The Sunday Mirror quote Johnson, who now works as a football agent, as saying he was ‘very disappointed’ by the comments.
‘If I had heard him say that at the time I would have been absolutely furious.’
Ged Gebby, chief of Show Racism The Red Card, also criticised Keys, saying: 'There’s been a huge improvement in relation to racism in football in recent years, but individual comments are still being made, week in, week out.
'For a commentator to be making this kind of comment is outrageous.'
The latest controversy comes just weeks after Keys resigned from his position at Sky Sports, claiming he could no longer work without Andy Gray.
Gray was sacked by Sky Sports when new footage appeared on YouTube of the former Everton player making ‘inappropriate’ remarks to a female colleague, while Keys decided to step down after attempting to defend his comments during an interview in talkSPORT following the emergence of a video showing the presenter making lewd remarks about a former girlfriend of Jamie Redknapp during a conversation with the pundit.
Massey, meanwhile, returned to officiating in the Premier League at the weekend, running the line during Blackpool’s 1-1 draw with Aston Villa.
Read more: www.metro.co.uk/sport/football/855368-richard-keys-accused-of-calling-black-player-choco-jocko-during-broadcast#ixzz1Ds0hZilp
