Women's Super League clubs have been left furious and deeply unimpressed after a highly publicised League Cup draw descended into farce, courtesy of TikTok influencer and podcast host GK Barry.
A Draw Descends Into Chaos
The controversial event took place on Tuesday night, November 26, 2025, and was broadcast live on the WSL's official TikTok page, which boasts a following of 900,000 followers. Barry, whose real name is Grace Keeling, conducted the Women’s League Cup quarter-final and semi-final draws alongside her partner, Portsmouth midfielder Ella Rutherford.
The 26-year-old social media personality, who also appeared on I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! last year, set an unprofessional tone from the outset. Before the draw began, she showed the balls in the case and stated: 'These are my balls right here on show, get a load of it, usually I’d charge.'
As she placed the balls into the bag to start the procedure, Barry continued with the sexual innuendos, remarking, 'Lesbian handling balls, never been seen before', before adding, 'what I’m going to do is give it a shake and a spank for luck, bit of fun'.
Insults and Operational Errors
The situation escalated when Tottenham's ball was selected. Rutherford prompted Barry to ask: 'What do we think of Tottenham?' This phrase is the well-known start of an anti-Spurs chant famously sung by rival fans of Arsenal. It is understood that WSL Football has issued a formal apology to Tottenham for this remark, which was reportedly repeated a few minutes later.
The draw was further marred by a significant operational error when Barry mistakenly thought she had pulled a ball out too early and put it back in the bag. 'Am I allowed to do that?' Barry was heard asking someone off-camera. 'I’ve done it now, it’s too late. Oh, I picked up the same ball.'
Barry signed off the broadcast with one final innuendo, this time about the Women’s League Cup sponsor, Subway, saying: 'Even if you’re a lesbian, get a footlong.'
Backlash and Strategic Misstep
The WSL's decision to recruit Barry, who has over four million TikTok followers, was a clear strategic move to connect with a younger, digitally-native demographic. However, the execution has backfired spectacularly.
Multiple WSL clubs were reported to be deeply unhappy with the behaviour and conduct displayed by Barry throughout the entire draw. The event, intended to promote the competition, has instead generated significant negative publicity and raised questions about the league's marketing choices.
The confirmed Women's League Cup draws are as follows:
Quarter-finals:
- Liverpool v Chelsea
- Crystal Palace v Arsenal
- Manchester United v Tottenham
- West Ham v Manchester City
Semi-final draw:
- Crystal Palace or Arsenal v Manchester United or Tottenham
- West Ham or Manchester City v Liverpool or Chelsea
Crystal Palace remains the only WSL 2 side to have reached the quarter-final stage. The fallout from this incident continues, as the league manages the discontent from its member clubs and the wider football community.
