GK Barry's flippant comments at the Women's League Cup draw have raised concerns over the legitimacy and professionalism of the event. The quarter-final and semi-final draws, which were conducted by social media influencer Barry and her partner Portsmouth midfielder Ella Rutherford, sparked unease among clubs involved.
At one point during the broadcast, Barry made a series of lewd jokes, including a remark about Tottenham, prompting an apology from Women's League Football (WSL) to the club. The WSL has since confirmed that all draws and broadcasts will be conducted in accordance with its rules.
Despite these concerns, some view the use of social media platforms and influencers to host the draw as an understandable effort to engage younger audiences. However, others feel that this approach compromised the professionalism of the event.
In the semi-finals, Crystal Palace/Arsenal vs Manchester United/Tottenham will be played between 19-21 December, while West Ham/Manchester City vs Liverpool/Chelsea will take place on January 21-22, 2026.
At one point during the broadcast, Barry made a series of lewd jokes, including a remark about Tottenham, prompting an apology from Women's League Football (WSL) to the club. The WSL has since confirmed that all draws and broadcasts will be conducted in accordance with its rules.
Despite these concerns, some view the use of social media platforms and influencers to host the draw as an understandable effort to engage younger audiences. However, others feel that this approach compromised the professionalism of the event.
In the semi-finals, Crystal Palace/Arsenal vs Manchester United/Tottenham will be played between 19-21 December, while West Ham/Manchester City vs Liverpool/Chelsea will take place on January 21-22, 2026.
anyways i think using social media influencers is a great idea in theory, but this kinda backfired big time imo maybe they shoulda stuck with the traditional hosts next time 
! so barry's just joking around and making some kinda lewd comments about tottenham and the wsl is like "oops sorry not sorry" 
and then they're all like "oh we're gonna make sure to follow our rules from now on" 
like, what even is that? shouldn't be a joke, you know? 
i mean, some ppl might say its cute or whatever, but tbh i think it's just awkward and unprofessional. what kinda message is that sending to the fans and the other teams involved? 
. But at the same time, I get why they might've thought using an influencer would be a good idea - younger audiences and all that 
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Anyway, I guess we'll have to wait and see how the rest of the tournament goes... fingers crossed! 
but seriously tho, thinkin it's a bad idea to use social media influencers for the draw is kinda harsh. they're tryin to make the event more relatable and cool for the younger gen. shouldn't we be embracin' that kinda creativity? 
and btw, what's wrong with a little bit of humor? it's not like she was trollin anyone 
. And what's with the jokes? Come on, GK Barry, we're trying to watch some football here, not a comedy show 
. Like, what was she even thinking?! The fact that the WSL had to apologize to Tottenham is just icing on the cake. I guess it's better now that they've gotten their act together and are following the rules 
. Still, can't they do a proper draw with, like, actual hosts or something?
maybe next time they'll do a proper draw with a real person, not just some random influencer who thinks they're funny 
. Furthermore, the lack of traditional broadcasting standards can be seen as an affront to the more staid and formal norms that are often associated with high-stakes sporting events 
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. Anyway, the semi-finals are gonna be lit 
i was really looking forward to the Women's League Cup draw and now i'm not sure if i can watch it 
i get what they were trying to do tho, engage younger audiences and all that 
but a little more professionalism wouldn't hurt 