Maddy Cusack's coach her 'nemesis', mum tells inquest

ByGeorge Torr

at Chesterfield Coroner's Court

Former Sheffield United footballer Maddy Cusack would still be alive if the coach of the women's team - described in court as her "nemesis" - had not been employed, her mother has told an inquest.

Maddy, 27, was found unconscious by her father David at their family home in Horsley, Derbyshire, on 20 September 2023 and died the same day.

Chesterfield Coroner's Court heard Cusack's family had complained about the team's head coach, Jonathan Morgan - who joined the club in February 2023 - outlining issues allegedly stemming from her relationship with him.

Mother Deborah Cusack said Morgan made comments about her daughter's weight and relationship to "cut her down to size" and be "in control".

Under cross-examination by Morgan, who is representing himself in the inquest, Deborah said: "You need to understand I'm not blaming you for what she did, but you made her feel how she felt.

"It's the little knocks every now and again. You had to come in and cut her down to size.

"She was one of the best-known players [at Sheffield United]. Like you did at Leicester [City], you needed to be in control.

"There's a direct line - if you hadn't been employed, Maddy would be here today."

The court previously heard Maddy's life had been made "unpleasant" by coach Morgan while she played for Leicester City, and was "so happy to leave" in 2019 to join Sheffield United.

But the inquest was told she had been "dismayed" to learn Morgan was joining the Blades in February 2023.

Deborah said her daughter did not just play for the badge, but "lived and breathed" for Sheffield United.

She added just before Morgan took over, Maddy became a poster girl for the club, as the Blades erected a "massive" billboard of her, which "she loved".

Asked about Morgan's return, Deborah said: "Madeleine said she felt like history was repeating itself.

"She was devastated, it was like her nemesis returning... we'd never come across a character like that before."

The inquest heard that Morgan had called Maddy "bottom heavy" after he joined the club, which prompted her to "try to get fitter and thinner" by changing her eating habits and going on runs after training.

Deborah was asked by the coroner if her daughter had mental health issues before.

"Absolutely not," she said.

"We had never, ever had mental health issues before. She was a bright, bubbly confident girl - she was just normal Madeleine."

The inquest has also heard from former team captain Sophie Barker, who claimed that Maddy's girlfriend Grace Riglar moving to a different club was the main reason for her mental health issues.

When asked about this, Deborah said: "I need to quash that - that was an opinion of someone who had a fractured relationship with Madeleine for many months before.

"I know my daughter, that is completely not true."

She added her daughter would have been "absolutely humiliated beyond belief" when coach Morgan called Riglar "Mrs Cusack" in front of their teammates, because she wanted to keep her relationship private.

The court heard Maddy felt concern that if she had to stop playing for Sheffield United, it would "compromise her job" in the marketing department.

"She felt such much pride running out at Bramall Lane - if she didn't play football there, then she felt it would be too upsetting to go into the office," Deborah said.

The court also was read a number of text messages Maddy sent to her mother. One said: "Had it been any other manager, I wouldn't feel like this."

In another message, Deborah asked if it would be beneficial to go and speak to Stephen Bettis, the club's chief executive officer.

In response, Maddy said: "They don't care about women's football, I will only make it worse."

Addressing the court, Deborah said: "She thought they would stand by [Jonathan Morgan] and not her."

Deborah added her daughter was "relieved but surprised" at being offered a full-time contract to play for Sheffield United in June 2023.

The inquest heard Maddy was "anxious" about how she would split the roles - with her combined salary being less than it was previously.

Deborah said the contract process was "shambolic".

She added players who were sidelined by Morgan would send text messages between them to "get them through" it.

"They were sidelined but they were together," Deborah said.

"She referred to them being in prison, on parole when playing and Morgan was the prison warden."

Deborah said she took her daughter to her GP, but added Maddy was concerned about being signed off work for mental health issues, and feared being stigmatised. She was signed off as being "generally unwell".

The club's doctor, Dr Subhashis Basu, told the inquest on Thursday that Maddy's medical records from her time at United had been lost.

Asked by assistant coroner Sophie Cartwright KC why he did not bring this to the attention of the coronial investigation, Basu said: "If that question had been asked to me directly, I would have done."

Dean Armstrong KC, representing the Cusack family, asked Dr Basu why he did not go to United's data protection officer about the data loss.

He said: "My view was to contact the medical records company first to try and address the problem. I believe I did raise it."

He later added: "I was slow to report that. I did raise it eventually."

The inquest continues.