Wendy Toms responds to being called 'f***ing hopeless' by Gray in chat in 2011

Wendy Toms has addressed comments made about her during the 2011 sexism row that saw Andy Gray sacked from his role at Sky Sports.

Toms, who was the Premier League's first female refereeing official in 1997, was called 'f***ing hopless' by Gray in a studio chat that was later leaked.

The infamous incident saw Gray and colleague Richard Keys lose their jobs at Sky Sports for sexist comments about referees Sian Massey-Ellis and Toms.

Keys, who resigned from his role at Sky as a result, had mocked Massey-Ellis, while Gray said Toms was 'f***ing hopeless as well'.

It is a moment and a day that Toms, who sat down with Mail Sport for a wide-ranging interview about her career, remembers well.

'The comment was directed at someone else, Amy Fearne,' she reveals.

'She had a game and they weren't happy with her performance. But they used my name and never thought it was someone totally different.

'It was really strange. I phoned Amy and said, "What's going on?" She said, "Yeah I didn't have the best of games". I said, "I noticed, your name wasn't mentioned but mine was - thanks for that!"

'I don't understand why he (Gray) just had a beef about women in football. And sometimes you get that, that people just don't want women in football.

'But comments like that brought to a head comments that were being said about females. It had to, enough was enough.'

In January 2011, Keys, 66, resigned and Gray, 68, was sacked after controversial comments over whether women were fit to officiate at matches - for which they later apologised.

A Mail on Sunday investigation revealed an audio tape of Keys and Gray talking about Massey-Ellis and other female assistant referees off-air during Liverpool's 3-0 win at Wolves 12 years ago.

Keys was recorded saying: