Inquest into Sheffield United's Maddy Cusack's Death Delayed until July
Laura Scott, Sports News Correspondent
The inquest into the death of Sheffield United midfielder Maddy Cusack, who was the first player to reach 100 appearances for the club, has been delayed until July at the earliest. Cusack passed away in September 2023 at the age of 27.
The inquest was due to take place last week in Chesterfield but was postponed due to a "perceived lack of transparency" regarding the disclosure of material, including an unredacted version of a Football Association (FA) report following its investigation into the circumstances leading to Cusack's death.
Maria Mulla, representing the Cusack family, criticized the redactions in the FA report and demanded transparency. Coroner Sophie Cartwright, however, stated that disclosure had been made under the Worcestershire principle, which permits redactions according to matters such as relevance.
The coroner added that both the FA and Sheffield United had sought redactions before onward disclosure, and she had considered additional ones necessary. Legal representatives for both the FA and Sheffield United said they had acted in accordance with those principles.
An apology was issued by the coroner for the length of time it had taken to collate the disclosure bundle, which contains over 700 pages. The family's concerns about processes and conduct at Sheffield United, including the conduct of former women's team manager Jonathan Morgan, were raised shortly after Cusack's death.
An investigation commissioned by the club found no evidence of wrongdoing, but the FA launched its own investigation to establish whether "further action is required under our jurisdiction within football." A fourth pre-inquest hearing has been scheduled for 3 June, with the earliest date for the inquest being late July, although it might not take place until the end of the year.
Source: BBC Sports Football
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