Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
DON’T SACK CARRA
Spitting victim’s family in plea to save star’s TV job
THE parents of the young fan spat at by Jamie Carragher have begged Sky not to axe the pundit.
Bosses have suspended him and in a tearful TV interview he apologised for targeting the 14-year-old girl.
But her dad said: “We don’t want him to lose his job. He seems contrite.”
JAMIE Carragher yesterday branded his own actions disgusting after he was suspended by Sky Sports for spitting at a young fan.
The Liverpool legend was close to tears as he went on TV to again apologise for the shameful behaviour that was caught on mobile phone camera by the 14-year-old girl’s dad.
But the youngster’s parents begged Sky not to sack the football pundit, insisting he had shown genuine remorse after contacting them to say sorry.
Carragher, 40, spat on the Manchester United fan’s forehead after his former club lost to the Red Devils at Old Trafford on Saturday. He claims he was goaded by her dad over the defeat.
But after being shown the Mirror’s exclusive footage of the spit shame, he told Sky News: “I have no excuse and it is devastating for the family involved and my own family, but it is my actions which have brought that on. You can’t condone that behaviour. No matter what the circumstances, you cannot ever behave like that, it is just unacceptable.
“There is no doubt what I have done is disgusting. I apologise for it.
“Watching those clips back it feels like an out-of-body thing, that moment of madness for four or five seconds.”
Asked what sort of message he sent out, the dad-of-two added: “A poor message. It is the lowest of the low.”
Carragher, who has not offered to quit, was asked if he should keep his reportedly £1million-a-year job analysing football with ex-united player Gary Neville.
He said: “It is not my decision. I am speaking to people at Sky.
“They are very disappointed. What I would hope is five seconds of madness would not take over everything.”
In a later ITV interview, Carragher called the incident “the biggest mistake I’ve made”. But the girl’s parents still urged Sky not to axe him.
Her 42-year-old dad said: “We don’t want him to lose his job. It is not about that. We wanted an apology and explanation. He seems contrite. Everyone makes mistakes, we are all human.” His wife, 38, added: “He did seem extremely sorry.”
Carragher was due to present Sky’s Monday Night Football programme.
But the firm said: “Jamie Carragher has been suspended from his duties as a football analyst for Sky after he was filmed spitting at a family in their car.”
Neville also pleaded with bosses to keep his co-star, despite admitting he “overstepped the mark”. He tweeted: “In my humble opinion this isolated incident shouldn’t stop us working together.”
But other football figures disagreed. Former Wimbledon star Vinnie Jones said: “How has the lad not driven after Jamie, rammed him, dragged him out and beat seven... you know what I mean. There is no sitting on the fence, Jamie is down the road, down the job centre.”
Sports Minister Tracey Crouch added: “Spitting is disgusting. Sky are right to have taken the decision they have.”