Sian Massey will return to Premier League action on
Saturday for the first since the sexism row involving two former
presenters at Sky Sports.The assistant referee will run the line at the match between Blackpool and Aston Villa at Bloomfield Road. It
is Massey's first Premier League game since pundit Andy Gray and
presenter Richard Keys made off-air remarks about her on 22 January. She returned to officiating in a League One game at Chesterfield last weekend. "I
trust she will do a good job," said Aston Villa manager Gerard
Houllier. "She is very confident in her job and this is why she has
risen to this level. "I believe she should be given the respect and freedom to go ahead and do her job." The controversial comments by Keys and Gray were made before the match between
Wolves and Liverpool
and sparked a massive media furore. Believing their microphones
were switched off, they were recorded before the Molineux game
suggesting that Massey and other female officials ""did not know the
offside rule". Gray
was sacked
after further allegations of sexist behaviour came to light, while
Keys resigned.
The pair have since signed up to work for
radio station Talksport.
In the furore over their comments, Massey was removed match duty because of the media attention on her. She
missed the League Two contest between Crewe and Bradford on 25 January
as well as the Blue Square Bet North match between Corby Town and
Eastwood four days later. However, she did return to run the line in the
2-2 draw
between Chesterfield and Aldershot last Saturday.
I wonder if Gray and Keys will have their thoughts on her on monday.
