The draw was livestreamed, but a number of clubs have questioned the integrity of the process
Questions have been raised about how the Women’s League Cup quarter-final and semi-final draw was conducted after the event was hosted by a social media personality rather than through the usual professional channels.
One club involved in the draw has formally requested that WSL Football provide the full recording of Tuesday’s draw.
At present, there is no publicly available footage on social platforms or on WSL Football’s YouTube page.
The draw was streamed live on TikTok and hosted by influencer GK Barry alongside Portsmouth midfielder Ella Rutherford.
During the broadcast, GK Barry cracked several explicit jokes, one of which referenced Tottenham.
Reports claim that WSL Football has since issued an apology to Tottenham, who are now assessing how they wish to respond.
There was also confusion during the draw when Barry mistakenly dropped one of the balls back into the pot before drawing it out again.
Some clubs feel the attempt to make the event more appealing to younger audiences through TikTok and influencer involvement was not necessarily a bad idea, but believe the execution lacked the level of professionalism expected for an official competition draw.
At one point, while drawing Tottenham’s ball, Barry remarked, “What do we think of Tottenham?”, a line associated with an anti-Spurs chant used by Arsenal supporters.
An adjudicator overseeing proceedings later insisted that the ball selected after being dropped was the same one drawn initially, and WSL Football stated that the draw would have been restarted if a different number had been used.
WSL Football say that the draw cannot be rewatched because the stream included live advertisements and was exclusive to TikTok rather than YouTube.
The quarter-final ties are scheduled for 19-21 December, with the semi-final fixtures to follow on 21-22 January 2026.
This follows a separate incident a day earlier when the Women’s FA Cup third-round draw on YouTube went live without any audio due to technical faults.
Quarter-finals draw in full
Liverpool v ChelseaCrystal Palace v ArsenalManchester United v TottenhamWest Ham v Manchester City
Semi-finals draw in full
Crystal Palace/Arsenal v Manchester United/TottenhamWest Ham/Manchester City v Liverpool/Chelsea
