An inquest at Chesterfield Coroner’s Court has heard that Jonathan Morgan, who managed Sheffield United’s women’s team, made comments about the weight and relationship of former player Maddy Cusack, who was found dead at her home in Derbyshire.
Grace Riglar, who played for the club and was in a relationship with Cusack, told the inquest that Cusack had been anxious about Morgan joining Sheffield United, having previously worked with him at Leicester City. Riglar recalled Cusack describing an incident in which Morgan had called her a “psycho” from the sideline during a match while he was her manager. “I don’t think she let anyone know those types of comments affected her, but they did and they made her uncomfortable,” Riglar said.
Riglar also told the court that Morgan joining the club was a significant source of stress for Cusack. Having been a regular starter, Cusack found herself moving in and out of the starting line-up after Morgan’s arrival — something she took personally. “She just felt those little things were intentional,” Riglar said, adding that Cusack believed Morgan was “playing mind games” by starting her one week and dropping her the next.
The inquest also heard that Morgan had addressed the squad in his first team meeting, telling players they must inform him if they were in a relationship with a teammate. Riglar said Cusack found it uncomfortable when Morgan would refer to her as “Mrs Cusack” in front of other players, describing it as a further source of unease.
Image credit: BBC Sport / BBC Sport
