PA MediaTV football commentator Lucy Ward has told a jury social media posts from Joey Barton left her “intimidated” and “physically scared”.
Former Manchester City player Mr Barton is alleged to have “crossed the line between free speech and a crime” with messages on X about Ms Ward, fellow football pundit Eni Aluko and broadcaster Jeremy Vine.
Mr Barton, 43, who has 2.7m followers on the platform, is on trial at Liverpool Crown Court accused of 12 counts of sending a grossly offensive electronic communication with intent to cause distress or anxiety which he denies.
In January 2024, he likened Ms Aluko and Ms Ward to the “Fred and Rose West of football commentary” after a televised FA Cup tie.
Giving evidence, Ms Ward said she “knew he would get to me at one point” because of Mr Barton’s general viewpoint he did not like women commenting on men’s football.
Asked by prosecutor Peter Wright KC how she felt about the post, she said: “Intimidated. It was very unpleasant to be the subject of someone’s abuse.
“I’m trying to do my job. I am one of the few females doing it and I have already crossed over a lot of barriers. It’s tough to do your job with that happening.
“Fred and Rose West tortured, sexually abused and killed children, so I couldn’t really work out why I was being called that. At first it was very, very harsh but then obviously it continued.
“It was getting to the stage now where I got a little scared, physically scared really. It was a continuous harassment, what I would call bullying.
“I felt vulnerable going to games.”
PA MediaMr Barton, from Widnes, Cheshire, later posted an image of her face and Ms Aluko’s superimposed on to a photo of the Wests.
Ms Ward, who played women’s football for Leeds United and later became their head of education and welfare before her current 20-year broadcasting career, told the court: “I just thought this is going to explode in a really negative way.
“I’m in the public eye, I’m always at games and the insinuation with two people who tortured, sexually abused and killed children is not somebody you want to be compared with.”
Simon Csoka KC, defending, said: “So far as being able to offer your own expertise on the men’s game, you can only do that if you were in the men’s game?”
Ms Ward said: “Not necessarily. Football is football.
“You don’t have to have done it if you know what you are talking about.”
Mr Csoka said: “There is a vast difference between the men’s and women’s game.”
Ms Ward said, to laughter in the court: “Yes, the women win things.”
Mr Csoka said: “You understand what would be meant by the expression ‘he or she is murdering the commentary’?”
Ms Ward said: “Yes, it’s not very pleasant.”
Mr Csoka said: “But you understood what was being said?”
“Yes,” replied Ms Ward.
‘Horrific’
Mr Csoka said: “Similarly with the photograph of your face and Eni Aluko’s face superimposed on the image of Fred and Rose West – obviously not pleasant – but you understand what that analogy was?”
Ms Ward said: “I think unless you have been on the receiving end of it. It’s horrific.”
The court later heard Ms Aluko was “astounded” by the post from Mr Barton comparing her to the Wests, after the pair had previously exchanged “friendly, supportive” private messages.
The former England women’s international footballer, who played for Chelsea and Juventus, said they swapped messages between 2017 and 2020.
“I would have expected, if he did have a comment to make about my punditry, he would maybe message me and say so. But the fact he did that publicly suggests it was malicious and was intended to get as much attention as possible, and all at a time when he was promoting a podcast,” she said.
She told the court his posts about her left her “devastated”, adding “for about a week I couldn’t leave my house” with her feeling “completely intimidated and depressed”.
Mr Barton denies the alleged offences said to have been committed between January and March last year.
The trial continues.
