Sky to spare its reporters from humiliation on transfer deadline day

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/jan/27/sky-spare-reporters-sex-toy-humiliation-deadline-day

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Sky Sports News has ended its tradition of standing reporters outside football grounds on deadline day to avoid the farcical scenes that marred last year’s closing of the summer transfer window.

Those included a purple dildo being shoved in the ear of one journalist who was on camera at Everton, the appearance of a blow-up doll and fans outside Selhurst Park chanting: “We fucking hate Sky Sports” and putting up a banner saying “Sky Sports – killing our game since 1992”.

The TV comic Simon Brodkin turned up in character as his footballer creation Jason Bent, claiming he had signed for Queens Park Rangers to “play in the Premiership this season and in the Championship next season”.

Related: Transfer deadline day: Sky Sports sorry over swearing and sex toy incident

Sky said at the time: “We apologise to those whose enjoyment was spoiled by a small number of incidents and we’re looking into ways to avoid this happening again in the future whilst ensuring fans remain a key part our live coverage.”

This time round, Sky will rely on a more studio-based presentation based partly around Gary Neville, Thierry Henry and Jamie Carragher. Their reporters will be stationed inside training grounds or behind the safety of club gates.