Maddy Cusack repeatedly asked Sheffield United's former club chaplain not to inform the club that she had been speaking to him, an inquest has heard. Dr Delroy Hall told the court on Wednesday that Cusack spoke to him multiple times in August 2023, including specifically on 23 August, and asked him three or four times: 'Please don't tell anyone I'm talking to you.'
Chaplain's role and Cusack's concerns
Dr Hall, who volunteered as chaplain from 2017 until November 2023, said he thought players came to him as a 'last resort'. He told the court he did not believe Cusack was at risk of self-harm, but she had expressed pressures from juggling her football and marketing careers. She worked for the club's marketing department on a dual contract. Hall said: 'Training and working meant she was occupied all seven days a week.'
Hall recalled telling Cusack her working hours were 'not sustainable', adding: 'I felt she was doing a lot.' She also mentioned having to drive four hours to see her girlfriend, who had moved to Lewes FC in East Sussex in summer 2023. Hall offered advice on coping mechanisms such as breathing techniques. He resigned from his voluntary role in November 2023 after supporting some of Cusack's teammates following her death, because he no longer knew who to report to at the club.
Club executives questioned on transition delays
The court also heard evidence from Sheffield United chief executive Stephen Bettis and head of football administration Carl Shieber. Both were asked why it took so long to inform women's players about their transition to full-time status after the 2022-23 season. Earlier in the inquest, the court heard that the 'rushed' transition caused stress for players and staff.
Shieber said the delay was partly due to waiting for confirmation of the men's team securing promotion to the Premier League, clinched on 26 April 2026, and board approval for funding. He revealed that at one stage, the possibility of dropping the women's team funding altogether had been mentioned. Shieber also told the court that during recruitment for the women's team manager, former head of women's football Zoe Johnson described Jonathan Morgan as 'a bit of a dick' on the sidelines but felt he was the strongest candidate. Shieber said Morgan was 'very transparent' during his job interview.
Club's awareness and financial sustainability
Shieber said nobody ever told him Cusack was struggling to do both jobs. Bettis said he was also unaware. Bettis defended the club's handling of the transition, insisting the club had come on 'leaps and bounds' in the past three years. At one point, the coroner halted a heated exchange between Bettis and the family's lawyer.
Bettis told the inquest he had repeatedly pushed for increased budget for the women's team but felt women's football is 'currently not sustainable'. He said: 'At that point [the 2022-23 season] we were probably losing £750,000 a year on women's football. Going full-time then would have doubled that. This season [2026-27] we will lose over £2m. The reality of women's football is it's currently not sustainable in the format it is.' He added that sustainability might be four or five years away with greater broadcast revenues.
Bettis described Cusack as 'a wonderful person' and said there was always an opening for her in marketing at the club after football. The inquest is scheduled to resume on Thursday.
