Dr Delroy Hall, the former club chaplain at Sheffield United, told an inquest on Wednesday that Maddy Cusack asked him multiple times not to tell the club she had been speaking to him. Hall, who volunteered at the club from 2017 until November 2023, said Cusack spoke to him several times in August 2023, including on 23 August, and asked three or four times: 'Please don't tell anyone I'm talking to you.'
Pressures of juggling two jobs
Hall told the court he did not believe Cusack seemed at risk of self-harm, but she had mentioned feeling pressures from balancing her football and marketing careers. Cusack held a dual contract, also working for the club's marketing department. Hall said: 'Training and working meant she was occupied all seven days a week.' He recalled telling her that her working hours were 'not sustainable' and that 'she was doing a lot.' Cusack 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.
Hall's resignation and club's response
Hall resigned from his voluntary role in November 2023 after providing support to some of Cusack's teammates following her death. He said he no longer knew who he was supposed to report to at the club. The inquest also heard from Sheffield United chief executive Stephen Bettis and head of football administration Carl Shieber. Both were questioned about delays in informing women's players about their transition to full-time status after the 2022-23 season, which earlier evidence suggested caused stress.
Transition to full-time status
The court was told the delay was partly due to waiting for confirmation of the men's team securing promotion to the Premier League on 26 April 2026, and board approval for funding. Shieber revealed that at one stage, dropping the women's team funding altogether had been mentioned. Bettis defended the club's handling, saying the club had come on 'leaps and bounds' in the past three years. He added: '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.'
Manager recruitment and awareness of struggles
Shieber also told the court about the recruitment process that led to Jonathan Morgan being appointed women's team manager in February 2023. He said former head of women's football Zoe Johnson described Morgan as 'a bit of a dick' on the sidelines during one game but felt he was the strongest candidate. Shieber said Morgan was 'very transparent' during his job interview. Both Shieber and Bettis said they had never been told that Cusack was struggling with her dual roles.
The inquest is scheduled to resume on Thursday. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123.
