Beard inquest delayed over Burnley 'bullying' concerns

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• Published1 hour ago

The inquest into the death of former Women's Super League football manager Matt Beard has been delayed over concerns raised by his family about alleged "bullying" surrounding his departure from Burnley Women.

Beard died aged 47 in September 2025 at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

The inquest was to conclude at Denbighshire Coroner's Court on Thursday, in a hearing scheduled to last 45 minutes, but the Beard family objected to the scope of the investigation.

The family told the court that they feel the circumstances of Beard's departure from his managerial position at Burnley in August 2025 - two months after taking charge - contributed to a deterioration in his mental wellbeing, and asked that a witness from the club give live evidence at the final inquest.

The evidence gathered so far includes statements from Beard's agent and GP, as well as material provided by Burnley and Leicester City Women, who had shown interest in hiring Beard before and after his departure from the Clarets.

The family also wants a video Beard recorded shortly before his death to be heard in court.

"Matt left Burnley of his own accord because he wasn't happy there," his wife Debbie told the court. "But they wouldn't allow him to move on [to another job]. I feel like they bullied him.

"Matt was the type of person who would say 'yeah I'm fine' - he wouldn't admit it to anyone. But you could see it in his manner at home.

"It's quite clear in the video Matt left, naming [Burnley chairman] Alan Pace as the instigator who put a stop to him talking to Leicester City.

"Matt left that video for a reason. He wanted that to be found and he wanted his voice heard."

The former Liverpool boss' stepson Scott Beard told the hearing he had concerns about social media posts by Burnley he felt were "quite damaging" to the manager.

In response, coroner John Gittins said that he would invite Burnley to take an active role in the inquest.

"You feel that when he left Burnley that was the catalyst for a decline in his mental health, and that the decline resulted in the events which led to his death," Gittins said.

"Having listened to members of the family today, bearing in mind the matters you've drawn my attention, I will invite Burnley FC to become an interested person for the inquest. Whether they choose to accept that request is a matter for them.

"You have made very clear to me that in this particular instance you want that [video] in the public domain.

"That video is the best evidence I may have of an intention to harm himself. "

The coroner also said he will seek to obtain further evidence from the League Managers Association (LMA), with Beard said to have consulted them over concerns about his treatment at Burnley.

The inquest was postponed indefinitely while the coroner gathers further evidence.

Burnley said they are "aware of an ongoing legal process and will not be making any comment at this time".

'The purest of souls'

Beard was one of the most popular coaches in women's football, having managed seven clubs and been voted WSL manager of the season on two occasions.

His funeral, held at Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, was attended by hundreds of mourners including players and managers from the women's game and beyond.

In the months before his death Beard was out of work, having been placed on gardening leave by Burnley following his resignation.

An outpouring of support from within the game followed news of his death.

Manchester United manager Marc Skinner described him as an "icon", and England record appearance-maker Fara Williams said Beard was "one of a kind and had the purest of souls".

Minute's silences in memory of Beard were held before kick-off in all WSL and WSL2 games in the following round of fixtures, while Liverpool's match against Aston Villa was postponed.

He led Liverpool to back-to-back WSL titles in 2013 and 2014 and returned for a second spell at the club in 2021 but was sacked in February 2025.

In a statement, Liverpool paid tribute to "an extremely committed and successful manager".

They added: "He was also a person of real integrity and warmth, who will always be remembered with genuine fondness by everyone he worked with at the club."

His brother Mark, a former Football League midfielder who now manages Hull City under-18s, paid tribute to the "most amazing, caring man who was loved by anyone who had the pleasure to meet him" in a social media post.

A fundraiser to support Beard's family organised by journalist Jacqui Oatley raised more than £50,000.

Last month Beard was inducted into the WSL Hall of Fame.

Related topics

• Burnley
• Football
• Women's Super League
• Women's Football