Latest news with #MaddyCusack
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Health
- The Guardian
Maddy Cusack inquest should be heard by a jury, family's lawyers claim
A jury should be convened for the inquest into the death of the former Sheffield United midfielder Maddy Cusack due to the 'significant public interest' in the case, her family's lawyers have said. Cusack died aged 27 on 20 September, 2023 at her home in Derbyshire. Within a week of her death her family had submitted a written complaint to Sheffield United outlining issues allegedly stemming from her relationship with the club's manager at the time, Jonathan Morgan. Dean Armstrong KC, representing the family, told a pre-inquest review hearing on Tuesday this was a case that should be heard by a jury. He said there was a 'clear' public interest in examining the particular position of 'young, vulnerable people' and their relationship with those holding senior positions in a sporting context. 'There continue to be significant differences between the men's game and the women's game in terms of resource and how people are dealt with,' he said. 'There is a significant public interest in examining how people conduct themselves within the women's game towards what we say are vulnerable females such as Maddy.' Jury inquests are often required when a death occurs in protective custody, and Armstrong said: 'I would draw the analogy of young, vulnerable women in football clubs in a climate of concern and fear. This is one of the first occasions in professional women's football where these issues are being addressed. I would suggest there is a fundamental need to examine what was in place to protect those vulnerable women, where the impact felt of words and deeds is potentially much greater.' Cusack's legal team also referenced findings from an as-yet-unpublished Football Association report commissioned in January 2024 into the circumstances surrounding Cusack's death. They said the report found the investigation had 'shed light on the resourcing issues particularly acute in the women's game and the related welfare and safeguarding issues that might arise'. Armstrong said: '[The] inability to report to the club contributed to Maddy's deterioration. 'There was no one to talk to, no adequate support system in place. That should be at the centre of these proceedings.' The Cusack family's lawyers also made a request for a number of additional witnesses to be called to appear at the inquest. Maria Mulla, from Maitland Chambers, said witnesses who had provided testimony in earlier investigations concerning Morgan's alleged conduct towards Cusack and other players were all 'highly relevant' and 'would enable the family to feel these matters are being explored fully, as they need to be'. Morgan, who continues to represent himself in the case, said there had been 'a lot of manipulation of information' and said some individuals had not been spoken to or had been 'cast aside' because their views 'didn't meet the narrative of what's been put out over the last 18 months'. Coroner Sophie Cartwright called for Sheffield United, the FA and Morgan to provide written submissions in response to the family's representatives' calls for a jury, a widening of the inquest scope and for additional witnesses by 17 June. The family's representatives will then have a further seven days to make observations on those submissions, with the coroner saying she would make a determination on those matters by 1 July. No date has been set for the inquest itself.
New York Times
3 days ago
- Health
- New York Times
Jonathan Morgan exhibited ‘bullying behaviour', called Maddy Cusack a ‘psycho', hearing told
Jonathan Morgan, the manager at the centre of the Football Association's investigation into the Maddy Cusack tragedy, subjected players to 'bullying behaviour,' branded her a 'psycho' and contributed to her deterioration in mental health, a hearing has been told. Morgan, who has been blamed by Cusack's family for causing her emotional anguish, was accused in one player's evidence of shouting during one game: 'You're always been a ******* fruitcake, Maddy.' Advertisement The player in question, goalkeeper Fran Kitching, told investigators: 'This type of abuse was not uncommon for Jonathan Morgan.' Other witness statements were read out during a pre-trial inquest review that took in written evidence from some of Cusack's former team-mates, including one who accused Morgan of leaving certain players so unhappy they had formed a 'trauma bond.' Cusack, 27, took her own life in September 2023, leading to her family putting together a seven-page complaint about her last seven months with Sheffield United — coinciding with the appointment of Morgan as their women's team manager the previous February. Morgan has always denied being to blame in any way, stating that they had a normal working relationship and that he had tried to help Cusack combine her playing commitments with working at the club as a commercial executive. However, the family's complaint, stretching to more than 3,350 words, led to the FA opening an investigation into the alleged issues between Cusack and Morgan in Sheffield and, before that, when they were player and manager at Leicester City from 2018-19. That inquiry has now been completed, with around 45 witnesses interviewed, and the FA will update its provisional report once a full inquest has been heard later this year. At that stage, disciplinary proceedings could follow. In a preliminary hearing at Chesterfield coroner's court, with Cusack's parents, David and Deborah, sitting in the front row, Morgan appeared via video-link to argue that the FA investigation had taken evidence from a 'one-sided selection of witnesses and there hasn't been anybody to challenge the creditability of the witnesses, or being put forward to speak for me.' The hearing was focussed on deciding which witness accounts should be included at the full inquest and the scope of what the coroner, Sophie Cartwright, should investigate. Morgan went on to state there had been 'a manipulation of information' to create a narrative against him and that the witnesses had been sourced by Cusack's family. Advertisement As one example, he claimed that Kitching held a grievance against him after a proposed transfer to Leicester fell through at the last minute while he was their manager. He also alleged that another player had stated she would never play for him, but that he had evidence she had texted a member of his backroom staff to ask if she could join his team. Morgan also said many of the witnesses giving evidence were players who had been released. Dean Armstrong KC, representing Cusack's family, told the hearing the inquest would focus on Morgan's 'bullying behaviour' and that the former manager had rules that included 'not allowing relationships between players and making it almost as if it was a sackable offence.' Taome Oliver, who played alongside Cusack at Leicester, said in her evidence she was 'sure (JM) was a contributing factor (to Cusack's death)' and, speaking of her own experiences, that 'he made me feel so alone' she had found it hard to play the sport she loved. A statement from Nat Johnson, another of Cusack's former team-mates, recalled a game when the former England under-19 international was playing for Sheffield against a Leicester side managed by Morgan. According to Johnson's evidence, Morgan shouted from the touchline: 'Still a psycho then, Maddy.' Morgan denies he did so. Evidence provided by Nina Wilson, a former Sheffield United goalkeeper, said Cusack had 'no hope of anything changing while JM (Morgan) was in charge … Maddy would have felt helpless.' She added: 'I feel MC's death was preventable. It always felt like JM's treatment of players was personal rather than on football ability.' The hearing was also told about a written statement from Callum Davidson, formerly a sports therapist for Leicester, who alleged that Morgan 'would treat players so badly they would leave without (the club) having to pay up their contracts.' Advertisement New signings would be regarded as the manager's 'favourites,' according to Davidson, but as soon as he no longer wanted them his attitude would change and he would tell staff, for example, that a player was 'cancerous and no good for the club.' Another player, Ellie Wilson, had lodged her own grievance against Morgan because of his alleged behaviour. The hearing was told that Sheffield United had dealt with her complaint in the form of a settlement involving a non-disclosure agreement, preventing her from speaking out publicly. She, too, linked Cusack's death to the manager. There was also strong criticism of the club, via legal representatives for Cusack's family, for allegedly not having a proper support system in place. This, it was alleged, had left the relevant players in a position whereby they felt there was no way to report their grievances. A number of players, it emerged, had complained there was no real process in the place. 'Looking back, I felt the club failed MC (Cusack) and me,' Ellie Wilson said in her written statement. 'If they had investigated the matter properly, MC might still be here today.' Morgan was previously cleared in an independent inquiry, commissioned by United, that concluded in December 2023 with the club's chief executive, Stephen Bettis, writing to Cusack's family to confirm no disciplinary action was being taken. In his letter to the family, Bettis stated that none of the people interviewed had 'heard or witnessed any bullying or inappropriate behaviour' towards Cusack, or any other player. Bettis did, however, acknowledge that Morgan's behaviour 'divided opinion' among the people interviewed. Some found him supportive and caring. Others described his style of management as 'isolating some players, quite authoritative and intimidating.' Advertisement The inquiry was carried out by Dennis Shotton, a former detective working for a Sunderland-based company, Safecall, that has had links with United for a number of years. Shotton's work was heavily criticised by Cusack's family for getting names mixed up and a number of other basic errors – including referencing her father, twice, as a club employee. Morgan lost his job in Sheffield in February last year after a former Leicester player, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Athletic she had a secret relationship with him for almost three years while he, in his 20s, was managing the club. The player in question said she was 17 when the relationship started, describing herself as naive for her age, and accusing Morgan of taking advantage of her immaturity in what her mother described as an 'immoral and inappropriate' relationship. (George Wood – The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Maddy Cusack's former boss launches extraordinary attack on inquest preparations into her death, claiming witnesses have been 'manipulated' to discredit him
The women's football manager at the centre of an investigation into the death of one of his players has launched an extraordinary attack on preparations for her inquest and says he wants to challenge the 'integrity' of some of the witnesses who may testify. In remarkable scenes at a pre-inquest hearing into 27-year-old Maddy Cusack's death, former Sheffield United manager Jonathan Morgan insisted the proposed inquest witness list had been 'manipulated' to discredit him. With Ms Cusack's family listening and watching him speak via video link, the 35-year-old suggested which aspects of her life, including relationships, should be considered. Morgan, who was sacked by United when it emerged he had a relationship with a player while at a previous club, said: 'From day one, everyone that's been interviewed or spoken to has been one sided, with the family. It's only fair for me to put forward witnesses in that environment to refute and challenge the credibility of some of these witnesses. He said: 'There's been a manipulation of information over the past 18 months.' Ms Cusack was found dead at her home in Derbyshire in September 2023. The testimonies of several players, read out in court, provided a sense of what working with Morgan was allegedly like. Former goalkeeper Fran Kitching described Morgan telling Ms Cusack: 'You've always been an xxxx fruitcake, haven't you, Maddy?' Forward Taome Oliver said Morgan had made her feel 'so low' that she 'could not enjoy something I had given so much to.' Another described life at the club under Morgan as 'like being in a prison.' The hearing heard that at least two players have signed non-disclosure agreements. Morgan, who represented himself, claimed Ms Kitching held a grievance against him for not signing her to Leicester City. He said another witness who spoke against him had texted him after Ms Cusack's death expressing a wish to play for him. The Cusack family's barrister, Dean Armstrong KC, said they want the inquest to be heard by a jury and for this case to make Ms Cusack's death into a broader examination of how women's football – unlike the men's game – has no support structure for women who are cast aside. An inquest date has yet to be decided.
BBC News
3 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
FA's Cusack report found others felt 'unable to raise concerns'
A Football Association report into the circumstances surrounding the death of former Sheffield United player Maddy Cusack found several players "did not feel supported and felt unable to raise concerns" at the FA commissioned the report in early 2024, following the midfielder's death, aged 27, in September 2023, and it has not yet been published.A hearing on Tuesday at Chesterfield Coroners' Court was told the copy of the report that had been shared with the family and others was "provisional", and would only be finalised at the conclusion of the Dean Armstrong KC - representing the Cusack family - quoted excerpts from it, including that "most [players] particularly did not feel supported and felt unable to raise complaints against their manager and others".He also read another part of the report that stated "the investigation has shed light on the resourcing issues particularly acute in the women's game and the related welfare and safeguarding issues that might arise".Nottingham-born Cusack was the first player to reach 100 appearances for Sheffield United, having started her career at Aston Villa and had spells at Birmingham and Leicester manager Jonathan Morgan, who was appearing via video link, accused Cusack's family of "manipulating information" and fuelling a "narrative" in the 18 months since she said witnesses put forward by the family were "very one-sided" and there was "no-one to challenge the credibility of those individuals".Morgan added people who did not "echo" the views of the family had been "cast aside", and requested that he be permitted to put forward witnesses. Coroner Sophie Cartwright is due to issue a written judgement following submissions on issues including the scope of the inquest and representing the Cusack family alleged there was a "climate of concern and fear" at Sheffield United in the period leading up to the footballer's was alleged one witness recalled Morgan labelling a player "cancerous".They have requested for her inquest be held in front of a Armstrong KC said there was a "clear public interest" in a jury examining the "position of young vulnerable people, obviously in this case particularly and principally Maddy, often females, who are susceptible and the degree to which they are susceptible to the influence that those in senior positions hold over them in professional or significant sporting contexts".He added: "There was then and there continues to be a significant difference between the men's game and the women's game in terms of resource but also in terms of how people are dealt with."There is that significant public interest in looking at how people conduct themselves within the women's game and what the support network is for those vulnerable females such as Maddy."No date has been set for the inquest but it will not take place until October 2025 at the earliest.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Why has Sheffield United's leadership treated Maddy Cusack's memory so callously?
How could they be so insensitive, so hard-faced, so unfeeling? What has compelled Sheffield United — and this is just one example — to ignore the wishes of so many fans who wanted Maddy Cusack's shirt to be retired? And why, having reached that decision, did they not even have the decency to inform her grieving family? These are difficult questions to ask of the club when so many people connected with them have done everything they can to help Maddy's family since that awful day in September 2023 when she died by suicide. But this is directed to the people at the top of the club and goes beyond their decision, kept hidden from Maddy's family, to reject a 1,200-name petition asking the club to retire her No 8 shirt. There is more to this story. Piecing together all the evidence, it is difficult to reach any conclusion other than the club, at its highest level, pulled down the shutters on Maddy's family. For that, they should explain themselves. What can be said with certainty is that the family have found it hurtful in the extreme. Yet the saddest thing, perhaps, is that the club's decision not to retire Maddy's shirt should come as no surprise to any of us who have seen a noticeable hardening of attitudes from the people who once championed Maddy as 'Miss Sheffield United' and knew her as a marketing executive as well as the vice-captain and longest-serving player in the women's team. It was there for everyone to see during a vigil outside the stadium in September, marking the first anniversary since Maddy's death, when it seemed barely conceivable that nobody from the club's hierarchy had the decency to pop down from their offices and show their face. Yet it goes much further back if you stop to consider that nobody senior from the club has checked in on Maddy's family since a telephone call from the chief executive, Stephen Bettis, in December 2023. Bettis talks a good game. The club wanted to remain in close contact, he told the family, and do everything they could to support the family and the charity foundation set up in Maddy's name. And on and on. They were hollow words, just as it has been obvious for some time that attitudes have changed dramatically since the club put out a statement that they were in 'regular communication' with the family and offering them 'full support'. The truth is somewhat different. At boardroom level, communication has been cut. The club have not given a penny to the charity foundation set up in Maddy's name. The club's accounts don't even follow it on social media. And now, almost by fluke, the family have found out the club have no intention of retiring Maddy's shirt – a decision that would have remained a closely kept secret, it seems, but for it appearing in the minutes from a fan advisory board (FAB) meeting on November 7. The decision, in other words, was taken months ago — and nobody from Bramall Lane thought it worthwhile to tell relatives, despite the family having publicly expressed support for the gesture through their Maddy Cusack Foundation. Any reasonable person might find that incredible, and deeply depressing, given that these are the human touches that most people might have considered mandatory. And you may have to excuse me for wondering whether it is some kind of warped response to Maddy's family demanding an inquiry to ascertain the reasons a previously happy 27-year-old took her own life. Is the club's position related in any way to the family putting in a complaint about Cusack's alleged treatment from manager Jonathan Morgan? Is it because the club are not exactly thrilled that the family's persistence has led to a Football Association investigation? That question has been put directly to the club and, true to form, there has been no response. But these are relevant questions that merit some form of explanation. Why have they kept this decision from Maddy's family? What has changed? And what do the club's new American owners, Steven Rosen and Helmy Eltoukhy of COH Sports, make of this? How does it fit into their pledge, made at the time of the takeover, that 'our fans will be at the heart of what COH stands for'? The only response received by was this from a club spokesman: 'The club has nothing further to add on this matter at this time.' It is all so incredibly cold. And, if the relevant people cannot understand why the decision not to retire Maddy's shirt is upsetting to so many people, there are all sorts of examples of football clubs losing players in tragic circumstances and honouring their memory this way. Millwall, for example, announced the retirement of Matija Sarkic's No 20 shirt within a few weeks of his death last year. Swansea City honoured Besian Idrizaj this way and, in the women's game, AFC Fylde did the same for Zoe Tynan. The list goes on: West Ham with Dylan Tombides, Queens Park Rangers with Ray Jones and Manchester City with Marc-Vivien Foe, plus many others. Other sports do the same. Other countries, too. And, in the majority of cases, it is usually announced within weeks of the player's death. As Nina Wilson, Maddy's friend and former team-mate, says: 'If the longest-serving player lost their life at any other club — while still playing there — the shirt would be retired immediately.' Bettis and his boardroom colleagues think differently. His explanation in the FAB meeting is that 'keeping the number in existence gives a reminder of who has worn it previously and keeps Maddy's memory alive'. How, though, is doing nothing more respectful? And, realistically, which player would want to take Maddy's No 8 with this as the backdrop? That will be an interesting day next summer when the numbers are being handed out. Bettis also made the rather dubious claim that retiring Maddy's shirt number 'would go against what has been done previously within the club following the passing of players'. Former players, he means — and what a shame that nobody, it seems, appears to have explained to him that this is the key point. Maddy, unlike the others, was still a United player at the time of her death. This decision — and the way it has been kept from the family — feels typical, sadly, of the boardroom attitudes since Maddy's family had the temerity to make it clear they were not going to accept the findings of an independent inquiry, commissioned by the club, that cleared Morgan of any wrongdoing. Can an inquiry ever be described as truly 'independent' if one of the interested parties has paid for it? It is a good question that perhaps we will save for another day. For now, though, it is enough to say there are legitimate issues about how everything panned out. You may recall that the chief investigator, Dennis Shotton, a former detective representing a Sunderland-based company named Safecall, did not even spell Maddy's first or second names correctly, introducing her as 'Madeline Cussack', as well as getting other names mixed up and referencing David Cusack, twice, as a company employee rather than, in fact, her father. Against that backdrop, should it really be held against David and his wife, Deborah — supported by Maddy's brother, Richard, and sisters, Olivia and Felicia — that they might want a more comprehensive piece of work? Morgan has made it clear he denies playing any part in the deterioration of Maddy's mental health. And, of course, he deserves a fair hearing. Nobody should jump to conclusions when a two-day inquest is planned for April and the FA has just delivered its report to the coroner. Equally, any family in this position might have a few concerns after finding out the club employed Morgan even though Zoe Johnson, then United's head of women's football, warned everyone in the selection process that he 'doesn't have the greatest reputation'. And she wasn't meaning his coaching. The family are also now aware that, shortly after Maddy's death, one of her former team-mates was offered a settlement with an NDA (non-disclosure agreement, a gagging clause, for all intents and purposes) preventing her from talking publicly about her own experiences at the club, including what she described as Morgan's 'bully-like behaviours'. That player had warned the club, while Maddy was still alive, that 'his (Morgan's) clear disregard for player welfare could be dangerous to the mental health of other players'. Chilling, isn't it? She is forbidden, though, from speaking about it publicly. She could be sued if she breaks that agreement and, when I asked the club why they had inserted such a stipulation (some people might even call it 'hush money'), their response was that 'an NDA is a standard clause within any settlement agreement'. What they meant, perhaps, was that it is commonplace among football clubs when it comes to suppressing any details that might raise awkward questions or create unwanted headlines. But it is certainly not mandatory. There are many employers, in fact, who regard DNAs as unethical when the main purpose for their existence is to save face and reputation. What really needs to be emphasised here is that the family have received so much kindness and support from people in and around the club, and fans especially. New friendships and bonds have been made. Supporters held a minute's applause before the men's game against Derby County last September that marked the first anniversary of Maddy's death. Flowers were placed outside the ground and what a beautiful moment it was when Gustavo Hamer, wearer of the men's No 8 shirt, scored the winning goal and lifted up his shirt to reveal his 'MC8' tribute. So, going back to the original question, why have the people at the top of the club got it so badly wrong? Why the standoff? Why disappear on Maddy's family? Why be so insensitive to their wishes that you cannot even bring yourself to retire the poor girl's shirt while knowing — because they must, surely, know this — that nobody else on the women's side will want it? Kevin McCabe, the club's former owner, brought out a book recently in which he describes Bettis, for unrelated reasons, as 'a snake in the grass, a deceitful guy… a turncoat'. It would be nice to think that is untrue. It is just a crying shame, on a human level, that Bettis could not keep his word with the Cusack family. Given the circumstances, it really should not have been too much to expect. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Sheffield United, Premier League, Soccer, Championship, UK Women's Football 2025 The Athletic Media Company
