Football manager ‘bullied’ by club, wife tells pre-inquest hearing

Eleanor Barlow, Press Association

The wife of the former Liverpool women’s manager has told a pre-inquest review she felt he was “bullied” by Burnley FC before his death.

Matt Beard, 47, died on September 20 last year after resigning from his job as head coach of Burnley FC Women in August, a hearing was told on Thursday.

Mr Beard previously managed Millwall, Chelsea and West Ham’s women’s teams as well as seeing success with Liverpool Women, where he won back-to-back Women’s Super League titles in 2013 and 2014.

The father-of-two, who lived in Hawarden, Deeside, died at the Countess of Chester Hospital after suffering a hypoxic brain injury as a result of suspension by ligature, the hearing was told.

The review at Ruthin County Hall heard his family had concerns in relation to Mr Beard’s time working at Burnley FC, which he joined after leaving Liverpool in February 2025.

The family felt leaving Burnley “was the catalyst for a decline in his mental health”, the hearing was told.

His wife Debbie Beard said: “Matt left Burnley not to go to another job, he left Burnley because he wasn’t happy there. Basically, they didn’t allow him to move on. I feel like they bullied him, to be honest.”

Senior coroner John Gittins said he would invite Burnley FC to become an interested person in the proceedings.

He said anyone who may, by act or omission, have caused or contributed to a death was entitled to interested person status.

The coroner said he would be making enquiries for further evidence from football agent Curtis Dawes and the League Managers Association (LMA), who Mr Beard was said to have consulted because of concerns about his treatment at Burnley.

Social media posts

Mr Beard’s stepson Scott Beard told the inquest review he also had concerns about the timing of social media posts which were “quite damaging” to the manager.

The inquest was adjourned to a later date.

Mr Beard’s funeral, held at Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, was attended by around 600 people including former Liverpool player Ian Rush, and former England internationals Casey Stoney, Lianne Sanderson and Fara Williams.