The third anniversary of Maddy Cusack’s death has arrived with the inquest into the former Sheffield United footballer still paused, leaving her family waiting for further answers. Cusack was 27 when she was found unconscious at her home in Derbyshire, and she died on 20 September 2023.
An inquest began in June and should have finished in July. Instead, it has been paused for months while Sheffield United looks for documents linked to her medical records. The family will have to wait until at least December to hear more evidence, a delay Olivia Cusack, her sister, described as ‘extremely overwhelming’. ‘It is very emotional and you can find yourself frustrated at times,’ she said. ‘They’re very difficult days.’
The inquest had already been delayed twice before the coroner adjourned it after a little under two weeks in July. Evidence, including testimony from Maddy’s mum, heard how she had struggled with her mental health before she died and had problems with Sheffield United coach Jonathan Morgan. Morgan told the inquest he had ‘no concerns’ about their relationship and that ‘things have not been portrayed factually or correctly with how she was feeling’.
While Maddy’s relationships and wellbeing were scrutinised, Olivia said she felt Maddy herself, and who she was away from the pitch, was overlooked. ‘It dawned on me that when people were asked questions about Maddy and to share what she was like as a person, they were all very similar answers and quite focused on the football side of her,’ she said. ‘People don’t seem to know her like we did – of course they don’t. But I wanted to introduce a different side of Maddy. I wanted them to know more than the number on the back of her shirt or the colours that she wore on the football pitch.’ Her family say the inquest paints a ‘one dimensional’ picture of the footballer.
Olivia and her cousin Emily Reilly often visit Maddy’s memorial bench in Scargill Park in West Hallam, Derbyshire, where they all grew up. Olivia said her big sister was the person ‘I looked up to my whole life’, while Emily remembered Maddy as the one who ‘used to get us in trouble with my dad’. With both of their birthdays at the end of October, Emily said they had always planned to spend them together, but ‘now I just come here’.
Olivia and other family members have campaigned since Maddy’s death and set up a foundation in her name to support aspiring female footballers. ‘The foundation keeps me going,’ Olivia said. ‘It’s been a real lifeline to be able to continue her story.’ On Saturday, she organised a walk from Bramall Lane, Sheffield United’s ground, to near Derby where Maddy lived, a distance of almost 30 miles. ‘The aim with the walk is just to do her proud,’ she said. ‘Maddy would love that we were all challenging ourselves.’
An external report ordered by Sheffield United shortly after Maddy’s death cleared the club of wrongdoing. A second report from the Football Association, commissioned in early 2024, will not be published until her inquest concludes. In December, the family will return to Chesterfield Coroner’s Court to hear more evidence about the circumstances around Maddy’s death.
Olivia said: ‘She will only ever remain a part of this life if we keep saying her name and keep remembering her.’ She added that although some days are painful, she tries to make a conscious effort to keep saying her name and keep her living alongside them.