Goalkeeper Barry was chosen to conduct the Women’s League Cup draw on Tuesday night, but her TikTok livestream went horribly, sparking a backlash and a public apology.
The Women’s Super League was forced to apologize after the decision to use goalkeeper Barry to lead the League Cup draw backfired spectacularly. The influencer, who appeared on last year’s I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here, has been criticized for her unprofessional approach to the draw.
Goalkeeper Barry (real name Grace Keeling) will be in the draw with partner Ella Rutherford, who plays for Portsmouth. She has more than 4.1 million followers on TikTok and more than 1.3 million followers on Instagram, so it was hoped she could attract a new audience to the Women’s League Cup.
The draw for the quarterfinals and semifinals of the Subway-sponsored competition was streamed live on TikTok on Tuesday at 6 p.m. However, the match quickly descended into chaos, with goalkeeper Barry’s attempts at humor and the lack of graphics on the screen making it difficult to track the draw.
Goalkeeper Barry was given the task of pulling the ball out of the bag, and Rutherford read out the team name and wrote down the tie a short distance from the camera. “What I’m going to do is shake and spank my luck. It’s a bit of fun,” goalkeeper Barry said at the start, before slamming the bag against his butt.
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The 26-year-old also joked about “lesbians who handle balls” and ended the stream with an allusion to Subway sandwiches: “Eat a foot long, even if you’re a lesbian.”
When coach Rutherford told him that Chelsea had been drawn, goalkeeper Barry replied, “I don’t know what that means!” She then asked what color Chelsea and Liverpool would wear when they played, but it was her comments and actions around Tottenham that caused the biggest problem.
First, goalkeeper Barry said, “What do we think about Tottenham?” – Anti-Spurs chants spread by Arsenal fans. Then she pulled the Tottenham ball out of her bag, put it back in and said, “Can I do that? I’ve already done it. It’s too late. Oh, I picked up the same ball too.”
To ensure that the result of the draw remained the same, an official was present off-screen to ensure that goalkeeper Barry had indeed picked up the same ball again. If she did not choose the same ball, a redraw would have been necessary.
Tottenham subsequently received an apology from WSL Football. Footage of the chaotic match went viral on social media, with many female soccer fans furious at the lack of professionalism.
“Who on earth thought it was a good idea for a ‘social media influencer’ and his girlfriend to do a draw? It’s an insult to female footballers of all ages and their clubs,” one fan wrote on X.
“That’s totally unprofessional. How can you call it a draw when she’s looking in the bag?” another fan asked. A third simply said: “This is atrocious. I can’t believe this is real.”
Goalkeeper Barry has yet to comment on the backlash, but he hinted he was aware of the negative reaction by posting a leering dog meme on his Instagram Story.
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