The family of Matt Beard, who died aged 47 in September, is calling for better mental health support for football managers. Matt Beard’s wife, Debbie, and son, Harry, are advocating for bespoke, targeted mental health support. Matt Beard was a two-time Women’s Super League winner with Liverpool.
Remembering Matt Beard
Debbie Beard remembers her husband, Matt Beard, as “A cheeky chappy – the Del Boy of football.” His death shook the world of football and beyond. Tributes poured in from players he had coached, rivals his teams had faced, and fans. Few could believe that a man who always had a smile for everybody could have taken such a heartbreaking decision.
Matt was a father to son Harry, daughter Ellie, and stepson Scott. Speaking to BBC Sport at the family home in North Wales, Debbie says she would not wish the impact of Matt’s death on her worst enemy.
Call for Mental Health Checks
Debbie has urged football to introduce regular, mandatory mental health checks for managers. She wants to ensure that no more families have to suffer the same pain. “It was just normal” is how Debbie describes the day Matt died, having taken the family dog for a long walk earlier.
“We would never have seen that coming – not in a million years. I just wish he had said ‘I’m struggling’,” Debbie said. Debbie knew her husband had experienced emotional difficulties in the past, including following the death of his father in 2022. She says he would continue to work and behave as normal.
Debbie believes the onus shouldn’t be on managers to ask for help, given they may not prioritise their own wellbeing in a competitive environment. She feels Matt’s death should herald a change in the way the mental health of football managers is monitored.
“I want to see a change – there should be proper mental health checks for managers,” Debbie says. “It’s such high-stakes pressure that they are under, it should be part of the regular monitoring.
“There should be a designated safe space that managers can go and talk to someone and offload. It should be mandatory that someone sees them, no questions asked, once a week for a check-in.
“There is so much emphasis on strength and conditioning in football, but for mental health they have to be the ones to speak up and ask for help, which I don’t think is right.”
LMA Initiatives
The League Managers’ Association (LMA) runs a variety of initiatives designed to help football managers with their mental health. These include confidential counselling with consultant psychiatrists, health insurance access, and mental health education workshops.
The LMA told BBC Sport there was a “need for continued education in spotting the signs and symptoms of those who are struggling”. It added: “Football management and coaching is a profession that can often lead to stress, anxiety, burnout, and a number of other serious associated mental health conditions.
“We continue