Sky boys miss Chelsea’s 4-0 victory at Bolton

Bolton 0 Chelsea 4. Sky TV cameras were at the Reebok Stadium last night to see Chelsea stroll past Bolton 4-0 and move to within seven points of leaders Manchester United. Noticeably absent from the television coverage, however,  were anchor Richard Keys and analyst Andy Gray. The pair had been dropped for the game by Sky bosses after they were caught off-camera making sexist comments about a female match official during Saturday's clash between Wolves and Liverpool.

David Jones was called up for Keys for the Bolton vs Chelsea coverage, while Sam Allardyce got a run out in place of Gray in the commentary box with neither substitute letting themselves down with their performance.

Sky had hoped to put the incident to bed with their decision to suspend the patronising pair for a game. The broadcaster had called the comments "totally unacceptable" and Keys had apparently phoned the official in question – Sian Massey – to apologise for suggesting she wasn't familiar with the offside law. The Daily Mirror alleges that Keys and Gray were given "an almighty rollicking" by their employers with not many at Sky shedding a tear for the dastardly duo.

"There is a feeling that they are becoming out of touch with the modern game," the paper quotes an unnamed source saying. "They have upset a lot of the crew by walking round as if they own the place and can do and say what they want. It looks like this could be the beginning of the end for both of them."

Sky Sports would be loath to lose two very skilled operators but the release of more sexist comments from Gray won't help his cause. In the latest footage to be made public, the former Aston Villa and Scotland striker discusses 25-year-old Sian Massey with Sky reporter Andy Burton before the Liverpool game.

Burton says he's been told by a cameraman that the referee's assistant is a bit of a "looker" but he doesn't know whether to believe him. Gray has a look on Burton's behalf and replies: "Nah, I wouldn't, I definitely wouldn't." Gray later mutters: "Fuck, what do women know about the offside rule?"

Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish didn't wish to be drawn into the hoohaa when asked for his thoughts on Keys and Gray, saying simply: "I don't have a problem with the gender of football officials. It doesn't matter, man or woman, as long as they know the laws of the game."

But others were only to willing to tear into the pair with Conservative MP Tracey Crouch - a qualified FA coach - labelling Gray and Keys as "particularly stupid", and sports minister Hugh Robertson saying: "These comments are very disappointing at a time when we are trying to get more women participating in sport."

England and Manchester United Rio Ferdinand tweeted that the comments were "pre-historic" and added: "I'm all for women refereeing – discrimination should not happen in our game."

Keys and Gray probably won't lose too much sleep at having their ethics called into question by Ferdinand; this is, after all, the man who allegedly took discrimination to extraordinary lengths in organising the infamous United Christmas party of 2007.

One hundred of Manchester's best-looking women were trawled from the city's nightclubs to celebrate the festive season with the players at a £4,000-a-head event that was out of bounds to players' wives. "The players were treating girls like pieces of meat," one of the women said later. "It was like a horrendous cattle market."

What Keys and Gray missed last night was an emphatic turn-around in Chelsea's recent form. The four goals included a 30-yard belter from Didier Drogba, and one each from Malouda, Anelka and Ramires.

However, the Blues made a jittery start to the game and it wasn't until the third goal went in that they looked secure. But in the end Carlo Ancelotti could have had no complaints as the Blues recorded back-to-back league wins for the first time since October. ·