Richard Keys has taken a further pop at Newcastle United after their Carabao Cup celebrations. The disgraced former Sky Sports presenter took aim at Geordie legends Ant and Dec and Alan Shearer in his blog.
Keys has become an increasingly controversial and outspoken commentator since his axe by Sky Sports over his role in the sexism scandal that rocked the TV company in 2011. Both Keys and Andy Gray left Sky after making derogatory and sexist comments.
In his latest musings, Keys couldn’t resist at wielding his axe at the way the Newcastle parade and Town Moor event went down at the weekend.
More than 300,000 people descended on the city to celebrate the Magpies winning their first domestic trophy at Wembley in 70 years. It was a day of pride and unbridled joy for Newcastle, as the players, staff and fans united in a historic occasion.
TV presenters Ant and Dec led the coverage, interviewing the Newcastle stars on the parade bus and hosting the Town Moor event on a big stage. They were joined at one point by Shearer, Newcastle’s greatest goalscorer and an icon in the city, along with Les Ferdinand and Bobby Moncur as club legends past and present celebrated the occasion.
Key, however, has attempted to rain on the parade by issuing a bitter and unnecessary review of the day. Rather than focusing on the city coming together in a joyous outpouring, he aims a sly and nasty dig at Shearer, who famously turned down Manchester United and guaranteed trophies to join his hometown club in a world record deal in 1996.
Shearer infamously never won a trophy with Newcastle, losing the 1998 and 1999 FA Cup finals, but remains a legendary and much-loved figure on Tyneside for his commitment, attitude and passion in a black and white shirt.
Keys, however, hit out at his appearance at the parade. He wrote: “Speaking of Newcastle – what a turnout they had to celebrate their Carabao Cup win. Top class.
“I saw Alan Shearer front and centre again, despite the fact he had nothing to do with the success. I had to wonder if he still thinks ‘medals don’t buy shoppin’? That was always his excuse for turning his back on [Manchester] United and a trophy haul that would’ve inevitably followed had he gone to OT [Old Trafford].
“There’s no feeling to replace that of winning – even second hand it seems.
“I’ve also seen enough of those professional Geordies Ant and Dec to last a lifetime. Tell me – where do they live on Tyneside?”
Key has notably had issues with Newcastle United in the past, particularly over the Saudi-led takeover in 2021. Keys now works alongside fellow disgraced pundit Andy Gray for Dubai-based BEIN Sports.
He couldn’t resist a little dig at the owners Public Investment Fund in the aftermath of the Carabao Cup final win.
“It’ll be interesting to see how far the Saudi’s are prepared to back Howe and his team now,” Keys wrote over on his Richard Keys blog. “I’ve felt for some time they’d lost interest in the project.”
Keys has also had little digs at Shearer in the past, including a swipe over Sergio Aguero equalling his Premier League hat-trick record back in 2019.
