Widow of acclaimed football manager Matt Beard claims club ‘bullied’ him before his death

The widow of acclaimed football manager and coach Matt Beard has claimed that he was “bullied” by his club before his death. Beard, 47, died on 20 September 2025 after resigning from his job as head coach of Burnley FC Women the month prior. He had previously managed the Millwall, Chelsea and West Ham women’s teams, as well as Liverpool Women , where he won back-to-back Women’s Super League titles in 2013 and 2014.

A pre-inquest review was held on Thursday. The father-of-two, who lived in Hawarden, Deeside, North Wales, died at the Countess of Chester Hospital , the hearing, at Ruthin County Hall, was told. It also heard that Beard’s family had concerns in relation to his time working at Burnley FC, which he joined after leaving Liverpool in February 2025.

Supporters of Burnley FC hold a banner in memory of Matt Beard during a match between Burnley and Stoke City in April (Getty) The family felt that 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 that he would invite Burnley FC to become an interested person in the proceedings. He said that anyone who may, by act or omission, have caused or contributed to a death was entitled to interested person status.