Sky Sports beef up pundit security after 'headbutt' incident involving Roy Keane

15 September 2023 , 07:14

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Micah Richards and Roy Keane were involved in an incident with a fan during Arsenal's win over Manchester United

Sky Sports will provide extra security for their pundits from this weekend.

‌It follows Roy Keane being attacked after Arsenal’s win over Manchester United at the Emirates on September 3.‌ United legend Keane was allegedly set upon as he made his way from the studio up in the stand to pitch side at the stadium and his Sky colleague Micah Richards stepped in to help.

‌Sky have a host of big name former players - including Keane, Richards, Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher - and clearly rivalries and club loyalties can lead to them getting stick.‌ Former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp was showered with abusive chants when he took part in a half time kick about at Old Trafford last month.

‌But the bigger concern is about the pundits’ safety and the danger of being attacked physically, especially when they have clear allegiances and are going to away grounds where passions might run high.

‌Mirror Sport has been told on good authority that Sky will judge each match and situation on a game-to-game basis but will look at access routes for pundits to get around stadiums, pitch side and also the studio and gantry.

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‌The category of fixture will also play a big part and local derbies or rivalries, such as Manchester United playing Liverpool. This weekend, Sky have three live fixtures with Newcastle hosting Brentford on Saturday tea time and then Bournemouth entertaining Chelsea while Everton host Arsenal for the Super Sunday game at 4.30pm.

‌An Arsenal fan was arrested and later bailed after the incident at the Emirates.‌

Match Officials Mic'd Up a hit

‌PGMOL chief Howard Webb on Match Officials Mic'd Up (Twitter@https://twitter.com/SkySportsPL/status/1658178648027848713)

The Match Officials Mic’d Up show has been a huge success and will now go out on a monthly basis.

Sky have already put out two shows - revealing the conversations between officials and VAR during Premier League games - which have been both entertaining and revealing. It has also been made available to the Premier League’s international rights holders which covers 189 of the 193 territories across the world which ensures a global audience.

‌PGMOL chief Howard Webb is committed to a more open and transparent attitude which plays into the Mic’d Up show and is ready to admit mistakes when they happen. Webb even called one chief executive immediately after the final whistle to apologise for a VAR error - even before the club official had realised a mistake had been made.

Stelling's Football March for Prostate Cancer UK

Jeff Stelling is walking from Wembley to Wycombe on Sunday in his latest Football March for Prostate Cancer UK, this time in honour of the late broadcaster Bill Turnbull.

Stelling has now walked over 890 miles for the charity, visited 106 football grounds and walked alongside 2,250 people and is hoping to raise in excess of £250,000 this time which takes him way over £1.5m since he started.

FIFA to open new exhibit

FIFA will have Pele’s boots and Lionel Messi’s shin pads on show in a new exhibition entitled Designing The Beautiful Game.

‌It will open at FIFA’s Museum in Zurich from October 23 and explores three different parts of the development of football: Performance, Identity and Crowds. It had previously been on show at London’s Design Museum and also features a poignant banner made by Hillsborough Disaster survivor, Peter Carney.

‌FIFA Museum Managing Director Marco Fazzone said: “This wonderful exhibition allows us to look at football from another angle.”

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A‌FCON TV row

Sadio Mane with the Africa Cup of Nations trophy

The Africa Cup of Nations - due to be played next January - has been left without one of its major TV deals after a bitter row between the Confederation of African Football and beIN Sports.

‌The £350m TV deal was terminated six years early and is CAF’s most lucrative deal as it covers domestic and international tournaments. beIN Sports are big investors in African football but say they are fed-up of last minute fixture changes and refusal to deal with rampant piracy issues.

John Cross