The inquest into the death of Maddy Cusack heard on Wednesday that she asked Sheffield United's former club chaplain three or four times not to tell the club she had been speaking to him — a detail that underlines how isolated she may have felt in the weeks before her death on 20 September 2023.

Dr Delroy Hall, who volunteered as chaplain at Sheffield United from 2017 until November 2023 (roughly two months after Cusack died), told the court he believed players typically came to him only as a "last resort". Cusack spoke to him on multiple occasions in August 2023, including specifically on 23 August, and her repeated instruction was consistent: "Please don't tell anyone I'm talking to you."

Pressure of juggling two roles

Hall told the court he did not consider Cusack to be at risk of self-harm at the time of their conversations. What he did observe, however, was someone under considerable strain. Cusack held a dual contract at Sheffield United — playing for the women's team while also working in the club's marketing department — and Hall recalled telling her that her working pattern was "not sustainable".

"Training and working meant she was occupied all seven days a week," he said. He also noted she had mentioned having to drive four hours to visit her girlfriend, who had moved to Lewes FC in East Sussex during the summer of 2023, adding another layer of personal pressure to an already demanding schedule.

Hall said he offered her practical coping mechanisms, including breathing techniques, and felt she was "doing a lot". He resigned from his voluntary position in November 2023, having supported some of Cusack's teammates in the aftermath of her death, stating that by that point he no longer knew who he was supposed to report to at the club.

Senior club figures questioned

The court also heard from Sheffield United chief executive Stephen Bettis and head of football administration Carl Shieber. Both were asked why the club had taken so long to formally notify the women's players of a transition to full-time status after the 2022–23 season — a delay that earlier evidence in the inquest suggested had contributed to stress among players and staff.

Shieber explained that the funding was contingent on the men's team winning promotion to the Premier League (confirmed on 26 April of that year) and subsequent board approval. He also disclosed that at one stage, the possibility of withdrawing women's team funding entirely had been discussed internally.

Both Bettis and Shieber told the inquest that nobody had ever informed them Cusack was struggling to manage both her playing and marketing commitments. Shieber confirmed that Cusack's difficulties had not been raised with him directly. The coroner intervened at one point to halt a heated exchange between Bettis and the Cusack family's legal representative.

Shieber separately revealed that during the recruitment process for women's team manager Jonathan Morgan — appointed in February 2023 — he had been told by the former head of women's football, Zoe Johnson, that Morgan had been "a bit of a dick" on the sidelines in one match. Johnson nonetheless felt Morgan was the strongest candidate and encouraged an informal meeting, which led to a formal interview. Shieber said he found Morgan "very transparent" throughout that process.

A wider picture

The evidence from Hall sits alongside testimony heard earlier in the inquest that players and staff were let down by the club. Cusack's decision to seek help from the chaplain — someone outside the formal management structure — while specifically asking him to keep those conversations hidden from the club points to a significant breakdown in trust or access to pastoral support within the organisation itself.

The inquest continues.

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Frequently asked

Who was Maddy Cusack and what happened to her?
Maddy Cusack was a Sheffield United Women's player who also worked in the club's marketing department on a dual contract. She was found dead at her home on 20 September 2023. An inquest is currently examining the circumstances surrounding her death.
What did the Sheffield United chaplain say at the inquest?
Dr Delroy Hall told the inquest that Cusack spoke to him multiple times in August 2023 and asked him three or four times not to tell the club she was speaking to him. He said she described feeling overwhelmed by the pressure of juggling her playing career and marketing job, which left her working all seven days of the week.
What is the Maddy Cusack inquest about?
The inquest is examining the events leading up to Cusack's death in September 2023, including the pressures she faced holding a dual role at Sheffield United, the club's handling of the women's team's transition to full-time status, and what support structures were in place for players and staff.