Maddy Cusack’s mother accuses Sheffield United of lying and blames nemesis manager for daughter’s death
Mother Accuses Sheffield United of Lying Over Morgan’s Reputation
Sheffield United officials “lied” to the family of Maddy Cusack when they claimed they knew nothing about Jonathan Morgan’s reputation before appointing him, the inquest into the 27-year-old’s death has heard. Deborah Cusack, Maddy’s mother, told the coroner’s court that chief executive Stephen Bettis and head of HR Vicki Anderson both stated they were unaware of any past conduct during a visit to the family home a week after Maddy’s death. Deborah alleged that Bettis had in fact referred to Morgan’s reputation in a report for the Football Association, and that both executives knew of a past grievance lodged against the coach.
“They both lied to me and that is unforgivable because they both knew about his reputation,” Deborah told the inquest. “Mr Bettis referred to it in the FA report. They both knew about the grievance that had been lodged and they both knew about the difficulties.” She said she had believed them at the time, describing herself as “devastated” that the claims made her doubt her daughter. The FA launched its own inquiry into the matter in January 2024, with its findings shared with the coroner a year later. The report is not due to be published until the inquest concludes.
‘Everything Goes Back to That’ – The Impact of Morgan’s Appointment
Maddy’s father, David Cusack, told the inquest that Morgan’s appointment in February 2023 was the principal cause of the deterioration of Maddy’s mental health. “Everything goes back to that,” he said. Maddy had previously worked with Morgan at Leicester City before moving to Sheffield United in 2019; Morgan followed her four years later. Maddy’s girlfriend, Grace Riglar, also gave evidence, stating that it was her opinion the club would have known about Morgan’s reputation before hiring him.
Deborah described Morgan as her daughter’s “nemesis” and revealed that among the squad, sidelined players referred to him as a “prison warden” in text messages, with those not playing describing themselves as being in “prison” and only on “parole” when selected. She told the court that players who fell out of favour eventually left because they could, but Maddy remained because she loved both her marketing role and her football. “She was literally on her own. I thought she felt lonely from that and isolated. By this time, she had no confidence in anything.”
In a deeply emotional exchange with Morgan, who is representing himself, Deborah said directly: “If you hadn’t been employed, which you should never have been, my daughter would be here today.” She added: “You had to cut her down to size. I feel that you cut her down to size and there is a direct line.” Morgan was sacked by Sheffield United in February 2024 after details emerged of a relationship he had with a teenage player while manager at Leicester City.
Riglar also disclosed that Morgan had called Maddy a “psycho” from the sideline, made comments about her weight and relationship, and referred to Riglar as “Mrs Cusack” in front of teammates – something that made Maddy uncomfortable. She recalled a meeting in which Morgan set three “rules” for the couple, including “not holding a grudge” if he became annoyed with either of them.
Deborah rejected suggestions that Maddy had struggled with previous coaches, describing it as an attempt by Sheffield United to “discredit” her daughter. Specifically, she refuted an alleged issue involving former manager Carla Ward, explaining that Maddy had actually been among a small group of players who refused to join a grievance against Ward, and that Ward later praised Maddy for defusing the situation. Deborah also dismissed a claim by former teammate Sophie Barker that Maddy “would still be here” had Riglar not moved away from Sheffield United at the end of the 2022-23 season. “That’s not true,” Deborah said. “That was the opinion of someone who had a fractured relationship with Maddy months before she moved away.”
Denied Counselling Request
Two weeks before Maddy’s death, Deborah called club doctor Subhashis Basu to request counselling for her daughter, in addition to the private medical care the family had already arranged. She told the inquest that Dr Basu replied: “No, not at the minute, that’s something to be discussed further down the line.” Deborah said she remembered the words exactly because the doctor made a pun on throwing a football down the line of the pitch. “And I mouthed to Maddy ‘it’s a good job we have our own counsellor’,” she added.
A note, which has been contested, states that on 6 September 2023 Maddy was offered support through the Professional Footballers’ Association. The inquest also heard that Maddy asked for her mental health problems and anxiety not to be specifically mentioned on a sick note issued the same month, fearing she would be stigmatised. Dr Mobeen Bhatti, who issued the note, confirmed her request. Her father, David Cusack, said Maddy believed that if she used her mental health as an “excuse” she “would be out” of the team.
Morgan is due to give evidence on Monday. The inquest continues.
