The father who filmed disgraced football pundit Jamie Carragher spitting at his 14-year-old daughter is set to be questioned by police for using his mobile at the wheel – as his family urge Sky Sports not to sack the former Liverpool defender over the bust-up.
Police are expected to question the father who filmed Jamie Carragher spitting on his 14-year-old daughter – as the family urge Sky Sports not to sack the disgraced pundit.
The former Liverpool and England defender fought back tears on live television after he apologised for ‘five seconds of madness’ and admitted his behaviour was ‘disgusting’.
He has been suspended by Sky Sports and was told that he will not appear on Monday Night Football and his £1million-a-year contract hangs in the balance after he was axed by Danish channel TV3 Sport.
Yet the parents of the youngster have said they don’t want to see the 40-year-old get fired and insist he showed sincere remorse when contacting them to apologise.
It comes as Greater Manchester Police are understood to contact the father of the girl for using his mobile phone at the wheel.
He reportedly won’t be prosecuted and instead the father will be given a talking to about the illegal practice by officers.
Carragher, who is worth £15million, says the father ‘goaded him’ when Liverpool lost to Manchester United on Saturday.
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher has been filmed spitting at a teenage schoolgirl after Liverpool lost 2-1 to Manchester United
Carragher sat down in the Sky News studio and watched the shocking video
The former England defender said that it was a ‘moment of madness’ and admitted his actions were disgusting
Carragher’s co-star Gary Neville today showed his support for the former Liverpool player by saying the ‘isolated incident shouldn’t stop them working together’
During an explosive interview on Sky Carragher said that what he did was the ‘lowest of the low’ and added that he hasn’t handed in his resignation.
His co-star on MNF, Gary Neville, tweeted his support and said that the ‘isolated incident’ shouldn’t stop them from working together.
The AA said that the father of the 14-year-old and Carragher should have to take driver awareness courses over their dangerous actions on the road as neither appeared to be looking ahead.
President Edmund King added: ‘This unsavoury incident is a stark reminder to all drivers that they should concentrate on the road ahead rather than film or road rage at other drivers.
‘It is a serious offence to use a hand-held phone at the wheel which one driver certainly seems to be doing.
‘The tactical display from both drivers, on attack and in defence, is diabolical. Both drivers perhaps need road safety refresher courses,’ he told the Mirror.
Speaking to Sky News, Carragher said: ‘A moment of madness which is difficult to explain.
‘Watching those clips back it feels like an out of body thing – just that moment of madness for four or five seconds.
‘No matter what the circumstances for anyone you can’t ever behave like that. That is just unacceptable.
‘My biggest regret is for the 14-year-old girl to be caught in the middle of it. That devastates me more than anything.
‘I have a young daughter exactly the same age and if somebody had done that it’s difficult for me to find the words to how I would react.’
The 40-year-old father-of-two was forced to watch the video which showed the moment he leaned out of his window and spat at the car.
He added: ‘It’s a poor message of not just about being in the game, it’s a poor message for everyone out there – man, woman or children. It’s the lowest of the low.
‘All I can do now is obviously speak to you and speak to the family again and apologise as much as I can.
‘I am being vilified and rightly so because if someone in that game had done that – I was commentating on the Manchester United vs Liverpool game – I would have to vilify them for the next few days.
‘It’s difficult to explain, the moment of madness, it was four of five seconds. I lost it and I made a huge mistake – I wish I could go back.
‘I have never done it before and I will never do it again, I can just try and go back to the person that I am.’
Speaking about his future, he added: ‘I have not offered that (my resignation), I am working out the best way to go forward.’
Neville wrote online: ‘I’ve just watched Carra23 say sorry. No excuses he’s made a big mistake.
‘He’s massively passionate about football and he’s overstepped the mark and shouldn’t have reacted.
‘I’ve been on TV for 3 years with him and imo this isolated incident shouldn’t stop us working together.’
Just hours before the interview he was pulled from a Danish channel’s line-up to cover the match between Manchester United and Sevilla tomorrow night.
He was later suspended by Sky and they said his behaviour was ‘well below the standards they expect’.
A Sky spokesman said: ‘Sky takes this matter extremely seriously and strongly condemns Jamie’s actions, we have made that clear to him in person today and suspended him from his duties.
‘It falls well below the standards we expect of our people.’
Carragher arrived in London yesterday to discuss his job and claimed he ‘did not see’ the schoolgirl before he spat at her father’s car from the window of his Range Rover.
The unnamed girl told the Mirror: ‘I have never been spat at by anyone before. I thought, ‘Why has he done that’. I thought I had done something wrong.
‘People in school take the mick and it is just a laugh. Someone like him who is older should be able to take a joke.’
She was left in tears after his saliva hit her in the face and said he should have ‘taken it as a joke’ when her father shouted ‘2-1, 2-1, unlucky Jamie lad, 2-1 lad’ following the game on Saturday.
Carragher said yesterday: ‘I’ll speak to the family again. I’m sorry. I’ll apologise again today properly.
‘I didn’t (see the girl), to be honest, she was leant back. I wish she wasn’t involved. I hate that she was involved more than anything.’
Full explosive interview: Carragher says it was a ‘moment of madness for four or five seconds’
Sarah Hewson: So Jamie, I’m recoiling watching that. It is disgusting – how do you feel when you see it back?
Jamie Carragher: Exactly the same. You can’t obviously condone that behaviour no matter what in any way shape or form. No matter where you are or who you’re representing as I am with Sky Sports now, family and the most important people really who were probably most affected are the family involved and especially the 14-year-old daughter.
Why did you do it?
A moment of madness which is difficult to explain. Watching those clips back it feels like an out of body thing – just that moment of madness for four or five seconds. No matter what the circumstances for anyone you can’t ever behave like that. That is just unacceptable.’
You describe it as a moment of madness but you were a professional footballer for years. You should have been used to banter far worse?
To be honest that is again when you’re actually thinking to yourself ‘why did you react because that is part of being a public figure’. At times different things are said but you never react like that. That’s the only time I will react like that it’s the only time I will react again like that. I have no excuse. It’s devastating for the family involved and also for my family but I brought that on myself.
Carragher had to fight back the tears when he was talking about the events of Saturday afternoon
Tell me about that call?
I called the family obviously they were upset and disappointed last night. I spoke to the 14-year-old girl. That is my biggest regret. There’s lots of regrets for what has happened but certainly the biggest one is for the 14-year-old girl to be caught in the middle of this of my altercation with the father. That devastates me a little bit more than anything else as a young girl has become embroiled in this when she wasn’t involved.
But it doesn’t matter who it was there’s no excuse at spitting at anybody?
Yeah of course but what I mean is a young girl feels slightly worse to me. I am in that position because I have a young daughter exactly the same age and if somebody had done that it’s difficult for me to find the words to how I would react or what I would say to that person if I bumped into them or something because the way that guy sees his daughter is the same way I see my daughter. It is my biggest regret of course – all of it getting involved in that situation – and all I can do right now is apologise as much as I possibly can. I obviously can’t go back and I have done that with the family and hopefully they accept that. I would like to do that again if possible.
What happens for you now?
It remains to be seen. All I will say is that it is Sky’s decision – not my decision.
Do you deserve to keep your job? Do you deserve to be there on Monday Night Football and a face of football?
Again that is not my decision. What I would say is there is no doubt what I have done on Saturday after the game is disgusting. I will apologise for it. I am being vilified and rightly so because if someone in that game had done that – I was commentating on the Manchester United vs Liverpool game – I would have to vilify them for the next few days. But what I would hope – not just for Sky but for the public who have known me for 25 years in the public eye since I started playing for is that five seconds of madness will be not sort of take over everything I have done. People may or may not like me even before this incident but hopefully going forward I can show the real me as I don’t think it was a real representation of me. And as I said hopefully whether it will be Sky or the general public will look at the 20-odd years, and I have made mistakes in those 25 years, but this the mistake I have made today is a huge one. I am well aware of that.
Have you offered your resignation or considered it?
I haven’t offered that – no. I am just speaking to people at Sky and working out a way to go forward for me and Sky. Obviously you just read the statement and they are very disappointed and understandably so. I have brought shame on the name of Sky Sports – the broadcaster.
So much has been done in football and you’re bringing the game into disrepute?
I agree. Yes it has. You said earlier about role models. I think footballers, anyone in the role I do, anyone in the public eye is a role model, whether you like it or not and people do look up to us and do look at our actions. The world we are living in now a lot of young people will have seen this clip as well.
I’m a mum of three Jamie and, if my five-year-old came home and spat I would be absolutely horrified and you’re a grown man.
I would be horrified at my own children. If I had done it at five or six then my own mother and father would be the same. As I said it was difficult to explain. The moment of madness – four or five seconds where I have lost it basically. I wish I could go back and change it but I obviously that’s not the case. All I can do now is obviously speak to you and speak to the family again and apologise as much as I can.
He was speaking after he found out he had been suspended by Sky Sports and will not appear on MNF tonight
What about your own kids – what have they said about it?
Disappointed obviously. A little bit upset but… [pauses, looks tearful]
You are highly paid and in a position of responsibility with it – what kind of message do you think you have sent out?
A poor message of not just being about being in the game of football. It is a poor message for everyone out there. It is the lowest of the low. I think whatever I was brought up as a kid spitting was that. I have never done it before and I can assure I will never do it again. But right now as I said all I can do is come in here apologise and try and back to the person I know I am.
What can you say to people watching who you have let down? What do you say to them?
I apologise because I know that it will put supporters, family and friends in a very difficult position. But the most important people I want to apologise to is the family involved really because they have been dragged into a media storm because of my actions and I’m sure that won’t be nice for them especially the 14-year-old girl. For me the people who know me or look up to me that is for me to sort out. Hopefully I get the chance again to maybe apologise or meet up with the family face to face and show how sorry I really am.
There’s been a lot of reaction. The frustration got the better of you but there are no excuses. Again, do you think you deserve to keep your job?
Well again it doesn’t matter if I say yes or no. That is down to the powers above. Listen hopefully I can show people over these next days or weeks the real me and as I said before hopefully the moment of madness will not cloud judgement of what people have of me whether it is good or bad. Of course this is a bad stain on me and my character, my career if you like. The big thing I am really disappointed with is the daughter. I certainly did not want that to happen or get involved. My frustration and what I did, which was an absolute disgrace, was with the father.
I am still struggling to understand why you were so frustrated – it was just light-hearted banter?
This is the difficult bit for me because I don’t want to give a reason or people to think I am giving an excuse and it happened two or three times but I have had that plenty of times. It is part of being a public figure and I have never reacted like that before as I have had it before. I can’t explain the reason for those four or five seconds why I reacted like that. It hasn’t happened before and it won’t happen again. This whole sorry incident which I have dragged this family into is obviously been devastating for them and close family around myself. And it has all come for me so again there’s not much I can add to it than improve my behaviour going forward and apologise again to the family going forward and to those at home.
I have to talk about the driving. You are busy arguing who is also using his mobile phone while driving. The consequences could have been worse.
Yes it could have been and that is something how bad today has been for everyone, the family, Sky Sports, myself – it could have been a lot worse. It obviously wasn’t on the street it was on a busy traffic coming out of a football ground. So we are probably very lucky people.
Jamie Carragher went on live television to say that he will keep apologising for what he did on Saturday afternoon
He watched the video which shows him spitting at the 14-year-old girl after the match on Saturday
Carragher was photographed arriving at London’s Euston Station after leaving Liverpool Lime Street on Monday morning
Former football hardman Vinnie Jones branded Carragher ‘absolute filth’ and is leading calls for him to lose his pundit job.
Carragher is also facing a backlash online with hundreds of football fans demanding that Sky sack the pundit.
The shocking video was filmed after the former defender had been covering Saturday’s match between his old club and Manchester United at Old Trafford.
He was driving home alone when he and was being filmed by the driver, who told the Mirror he was ‘having a bit of banter’.
But in a moment of madness, the scene turned ugly and Carragher inexplicably spat towards the car in which the young girl was being driven, with saliva hitting her in the face, causing her to cry.
Hollywood actor Jones – who played for Wimbledon, Leeds and Chelsea – said Carragher is a ‘coward’ and needs to ‘get down the job centre’.
Speaking to presenter Alan Brazil on TalkSport, Jones said: ‘It is cowardly. How has the lad driving it not driven after Jamie, rammed him, dragged him out of the car and beat seven… you know what I mean.
‘If someone spat at my daughter sitting in the car, I would have been after them.
Carragher (pictured with his wife Nicola) today went on live television to apologise for his ‘disgusting’ behaviour
Carragher told reporters at Euston station that he will apologise again to the family later today
The 40-year-old arrived at London Euston today ahead of crunch talks with Sky Sports bosses
The ex-Liverpool defender (left) has become synonymous with Sky’s football coverage
Jamie Carragher could join list of pundits who lost their jobs at Sky Sports
Jamie Carragher could join a list of Sky Sports pundits sacked by the channel for inappropriate behaviour.
In January 2011, former Everton and Aston Villa striker Andy Gray, 62, was fired over a string of sexist outbursts.
The TV pundit was initially suspended after his controversial comments were aimed at female assistant referee Sian Massey.
However, the emergence of older footage – in which he directed a lewd comment at fellow Sky Sports presenter Charlotte Jackson – forced them to take decisive action.
Commentator and pundit Andy Gray (left) was sacked by Sky Sports and presenter Richard Keys (right) resigned following a sexism row
The leaked film, which featured fellow shamed colleague Richard Keys, showed the pundit asking Jackson to tuck a microphone pack down his trousers.
At the time, a Sky spokesman said: ‘Sky Sports has terminated its contract with Andy Gray.
‘The decision which is effective immediately was made in response to new evidence of unacceptable and offensive behaviour.
‘The new evidence relating to an off-air incident that took place in December 2010 came to light after Andy Gray had already been subjected to disciplinary action for his comments of 22 January 2011.’
Meanwhile, presenter Keys resigned from his position over the same sexism row.
Keys, 60, was interviewed on radio and apologised for his behaviour as Gray had done earlier but blamed ‘dark forces’ for publicising the issue.
Gray (left, with Keys in 2010) was initially suspended after his controversial comments were aimed at female assistant referee Sian Massey
Confirming the veteran presenter’s resignation, Sky Sports managing director Barney Francis said it was ‘disappointing that Richard’s career should end under these circumstances’.
And in August last year former Manchester City winger Peter Beagrie was sacked as a Sky Sports pundit after he was convicted of assaulting his partner.
The 52-year-old mainly worked on Championship matches and his trial heard he punched Zarah Blake when he was drunk.
Beagrie was sentenced to a 12-month community order and a Sky Sports spokesman said at the time: ‘When we first became aware of the charge, we removed Peter from our coverage pending his case.
‘Following the outcome we have terminated his contract with immediate effect.’
‘There is no sitting on the fence here, Jamie is down the road – down the job centre tomorrow.
‘Spitting at 14-year-olds through a window? He is presenting on the TV. For Christ’s sake, he is supposed to be one of the top men.
‘You can’t condone that whatsoever. It is filth, it is absolute filth.’
Meanwhile, former Manchester City and Burnley player Joey Barton today said he wants Carragher to be sacked, adding it was ‘absolute madness’ for him to spit at the girl.
Speaking on TalkSport, he said: ‘It’s absolute madness, you just can’t do that in any fashion.
‘If Jamie is that annoyed he should just keep his window up, or just tell him to mind his own business.
‘Surely he’s got to see the fact there’s a young girl in the car – he’s got kids himself. Why is he that emotionally attached to the game? He should be an impartial pundit.’
Carragher contacted the girl’s family on Saturday and apologised profusely for the incident that he told Sportsmail was ‘totally out of order and unacceptable’ and recognised the shame it has brought on him.
He did not attempt to defend himself but could not understand why the driver had made three or four attempts to film him.
Carragher has been synonymous with MNF since he retired in 2013 and has been praised for his work.
Former footballer Vinnie Jones (left and playing for Wimbledon in 1996, right) branded Carragher ‘filth’
Carragher had been covering Saturday’s match between Liverpool and Manchester United
The former Liverpool defender apologised on Twitter after video footage emerged on Sunday
This incident, however, has been viewed dimly by the broadcaster’s hierarchy and they will speak to him over the next 24 hours to hear his views.
A Sky spokesman said: ‘It is unacceptable behaviour and we will be addressing it with Jamie.’
Carragher issued a tweet saying: ‘Totally out of order and I’ve apologised personally to all the family this evening. I was goaded 3/4 times along the motorway while being filmed & lost my rag. No excuse, apologies.’
The video of the incident, which police said took place two miles away from Old Trafford, was condemned when it was published.
It begins with the man who is driving beeping his horn at Carragher. He winds down the front window of the passenger side of his car and shouts: ‘2-1 Jamie lad, 2-1!’
Carragher winds down his own window and says ‘Alright lad’. He then spits towards the car.
At first the driver is unaware of what has happened and laughs until the girl says: ‘He spat at me.’
The driver then says: ‘How? Oooh. Nice. Jamie Carragher spat at my daughter. Nice, very nice, Jamie Carragher!’
The clip ends with girl, who is clearly upset, saying to her father: ‘Will you stop it now?’
Carragher is highly respected for his punditry and is believed to earn in excess of £1m a year
Carragher will hold talks about his future with Sky after the video emerged on Sunday
When Carragher was a Sportsmail columnist, he wrote a piece in March 2015 following an incident in a match between Newcastle and Manchester United at St James’ Park when Papiss Cisse and Jonny Evans spat at each other.
He did not attempt to make light of the disgusting nature of the exchange that led to both players being banned by the Football Association but explained that a leg-breaking tackle was regarded as worse by footballers.
Carragher wrote: ‘As usual, there have been a number of people who have said, ‘It is the worst thing that can happen on a pitch’. It is vile but let me assure you now — I would have preferred Lucas Neill to have spat at me the day he broke my leg in September 2003!
‘One final thing: all those people who have said about Evans, ‘he’s not that type of lad’. Who is then?
‘Is there are a list somewhere of names who are ‘that type’? It is a stupid thing to say. It’s not about his character. It’s about whether he had a moment of madness, deliberately or otherwise.
Carragher was spat at when playing for Liverpool against Celta Vigo in 1998 (match pictured)
‘I was spat at once during my career. It came during a UEFA Cup game against Celta Vigo in 1998 and the player in question was a Russian midfielder called Aleksandr Mostovoi.
‘I was shocked more than angry when he did it because I couldn’t believe what had happened.’
Carragher, who won 38 England caps in a career spanning 20 years, is also employed as a columnist by the Daily Telegraph.
Greater Manchester Police said they had not received any complaints regarding the incident.
Face masks at the ready! Football fans mercilessly mock Jamie Carragher while others call for Sky Sports to sack him after he spat at a 14-year-old girl
By Ed Riley for MailOnline
Internet jokers today responded to Jamie Carragher’s spitting incident by mocking him online with a serious of hilarious memes.
The former Liverpool defender sparked fury as a video showed him appearing to spit at a 14-year-old girl.
As the Sky Sports pundit today met with TV bosses, the web was flooded with a series of funny pictures and video poking fun at the star.
Others reacted with outrage over the shocking incident and tore into the star as he arrived in London this morning.
And as he arrived at Euston station in London from Liverpool, he said: ‘I’ll speak to the family again. I’m sorry. I’ll apologise again today properly.’
It came as Danish channel TV3 Sport pulled the 40-year-old from their line up to cover the match between Manchester United and Sevilla tomorrow night.
