November 27 – English Women’s League Cup officials are in firefighting mode after a quarter-final and semi-final draw went south and left clubs questioning the competition’s professionalism.
The draw, held on WSL Football’s TikTok page, was hosted by influencer GK Barry and Portsmouth midfielder Ella Rutherford. What followed was closer to late-night comedy than the solemn ritual of seeing who would play who, and where.
Clubs have already asked WSL Football to hand over footage of Tuesday’s draw, but, incredibly, none is currently available on social media or YouTube.
Barry opened proceedings with a crack about “lesbians handling balls” and later tossed in an innuendo about sponsor Subway, signing off with: “Even if you’re a lesbian, get a footlong.”
To make matters worse, Barry pulled a ball, dropped it back into the bag, then fished it out again. The adjudicator on-site insisted the ball she used on the second attempt was the same one she dropped.
But the missteps — and the influencer’s own admission of uncertainty, “Am I allowed to do that? I’ve done it now, it’s too late. Oh, I picked up the same ball.” — did little to calm the room. WSL Football said that had the number been different, the draw would have been restarted.
And to add insult upon insult, while holding Tottenham’s ball she asked, “What do we think of Tottenham?”, echoing the anti-Spurs chant often sung by Arsenal supporters. BBC Sport understands WSL Football has apologised to Spurs, who are now weighing their response.
Sources at several clubs accept the idea of reaching younger audiences through TikTok and personalities like Barry. But they argue the pendulum swung too far away from the credibility expected of a domestic cup draw.
The quarter-finals run 19–21 December, with the semis set for 21–22 January 2026.