Maddy Cusack inquest adjourned for second time in 2026 as coroner seeks further club records

The inquest into the death of Sheffield United footballer Maddy Cusack has been adjourned for the second time this year, pushing a conclusion back to at least 7 December — more than two years after her death in September 2023.

Cusack, 27, was found unresponsive at her home in Horsley, Derbyshire, on 20 September 2023. Chesterfield Coroner’s Court has heard that her coach Jonathan Morgan made comments about her weight and her relationship in the period before she died, and that her family sent a written complaint to Sheffield United within a week of her death outlining issues they alleged stemmed from her time working under Morgan.

Following eight days of evidence, Assistant Coroner Sophie Cartwright KC told the family on Thursday that the inquest would be adjourned to obtain further information. The hearing had been expected to conclude this week, with the coroner’s conclusion anticipated on 27 July.

“I know how long you have waited for this inquest,” Cartwright told the family. “I genuinely am sorry to the family and the properly interested persons. The hope we would finish today or tomorrow will not take place for reasons you know.”

The coroner said Sheffield United would be asked to search its Teams folders and Google Drive records for any information related to Cusack, and that an audit of her health records on the club’s system in the months before she died would be requested. Former club doctor Dr Subhashis Basu and Francesca Carr, who was head physiotherapist for the women’s team, will be recalled to give further evidence. Cusack’s mother, Deborah Cusack, may also be called again.

The inquest has not yet heard from Vicki Anderson, United’s head of HR, or David Matthews, the Football Association’s head of integrity.

The court has already heard that Morgan called Cusack “bottom heavy” — a comment he said referred to her muscular legs — and said “here come the girlfriends” when she was walking with her partner and United teammate Grace Riglar. He denied calling Cusack a “psycho” from the sidelines during a match before his appointment as manager.

Deborah Cusack told the inquest her daughter was “absolutely devastated” when Morgan joined Sheffield United in February 2023, because of her earlier experience working with him at Leicester City, and feared “history was repeating itself”.

The inquest had originally been scheduled to begin in January but was postponed just before Christmas due to delays in the disclosure of information to Cusack’s family. Cartwright said her thoughts would be with the family on the third anniversary of Cusack’s death and her birthday before proceedings resume in December.