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The mother of former Sheffield United footballer Maddy Cusack has told an inquest that her daughter might still be alive if the women’s team coach, described as her “nemesis” during the court proceedings, had not been employed by the club. Maddy, aged 27, was discovered unconscious by her father, David, at their home in Horsley, Derbyshire on 20 September 2023 and passed away later that same day.
At Chesterfield Coroner’s Court, it was revealed that the family had raised concerns regarding Jonathan Morgan, the head coach who joined Sheffield United in February 2023. They described ongoing problems tied to Maddy’s relationship with him. Deborah Cusack, Maddy’s mother, stated that Morgan made remarks about her daughter’s weight and personal matters with the intent to “cut her down to size” and assert control over her. Under questioning by Morgan, who chose to represent himself at the inquest, Deborah clarified, “You need to understand I’m not blaming you for what she did, but you made her feel how she felt.” She went on to emphasize that these repeated minor attacks took a toll, saying, “There’s a direct line – if you hadn’t been employed, Maddy would be here today.”
The inquest also heard about the negative impact Morgan had on Maddy during her time at Leicester City, where she was reported to have found life “unpleasant” under his coaching and was “so happy to leave” the club in 2019 to join Sheffield United. However, when Morgan signed on with Sheffield United in early 2023, Maddy was reportedly “dismayed.” Deborah explained that Maddy genuinely lived for the club, not just playing for the badge. Around that time, Maddy had become something of a club icon, with a large billboard of her displayed at Bramall Lane, which she loved. Deborah recalled her daughter’s reaction to Morgan’s arrival: “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 court also heard that Morgan had referred to Maddy as “bottom heavy,” which led her to change her diet and increase her running after practice in an effort to become fitter and thinner. When questioned if Maddy had any prior mental health issues, Deborah responded firmly, “Absolutely not. We had never, ever had mental health issues before. She was a bright, bubbly confident girl – she was just normal Madeleine.”
Further testimony at the inquest included statements from former team captain Sophie Barker, who suggested that Maddy’s mental health struggles were primarily due to her girlfriend Grace Riglar moving to a different club. Deborah strongly rejected this view, describing it as coming from “someone who had a fractured relationship with Madeleine for many months before.” She insisted, “I know my daughter, that is completely not true.” Deborah also highlighted an incident where Morgan publicly referred to Riglar as “Mrs Cusack” in front of teammates, causing Maddy great embarrassment since she wished to keep her relationship private. The court learned that Maddy was worried that if she had to stop playing for Sheffield United, it would negatively affect her job within the club’s marketing department. Deborah explained, “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.” Text messages exchanged between Maddy and her mother were read aloud, including one where Maddy lamented: “Had it been any other manager, I wouldn’t feel like this.” When Deborah suggested involving Stephen Bettis, the club’s chief executive officer, Maddy replied, “They don’t care about women’s football, I will only make it worse.” Deborah addressed the court, saying, “She thought they would stand by [Jonathan Morgan] and not her.
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