Two women united by loss

Debbie Beard lost her husband Matt, former Liverpool Women manager, in September 2025. Amanda Thorpe's husband Graham, an England cricketer, died by suicide in 2024. They met for the first time at a Royal Foundation event on suicide prevention in sport.

Matt Beard's sudden departure

Matt Beard managed Burnley Women for just two months before leaving in August 2025. He died a month later. An inquest into his death has been postponed indefinitely.

Graham Thorpe's spiral after job loss

Graham Thorpe lost his England and Surrey coaching role in 2022 and spiralled into depression. Amanda believes he would still be alive with more support from the England and Wales Cricket Board after his dismissal.

The video that changed everything

After England's disastrous Ashes series, Graham was sacked along with others. A playful video of him having drinks with the opposition was leaked to the Sydney Morning Herald, humiliating him further.

“It's OK if you win but you're not allowed to have a drink if you lose.”

Graham's hidden suicidal thoughts

Graham had ten therapy sessions but never told Amanda he'd mentioned suicide to his therapist. He made a serious suicide attempt that left him badly hurt before his death.

Amanda's guilt and what-ifs

Amanda wishes she'd known about Graham's suicidal thoughts and believes more intensive help, possibly residential treatment, could have saved him. She feels she missed warning signs.

“If I'd known, things could have been different.”

Matt's hidden struggles at home

Matt didn't tell Debbie about his mental health worries, always saying he was fine. He confided in his brother instead. Debbie noticed behaviour changes, increased drinking, and risk-taking after his sacking.

“He always wanted the best for other people. He didn't want to concern me and the family.”

Social media abuse and performance pressure

Matt faced heavy social media abuse when his team underperformed. He couldn't speak openly in media interviews about behind-the-scenes problems, so he vented at home instead.

Graham's emotional highs and lows

Graham was a tough competitor with big emotional swings. When struggling, he felt isolated and believed he'd lost all his friends, even though they hadn't abandoned him.

“He felt very isolated. He would say: 'I've lost all my friends.' But that's how he felt.”

Matt's guilt over difficult decisions

As a manager, Matt had to sack players and drop them from teams. He came home feeling guilty about these conversations, even though they were part of his job.

“I've had a hard conversation today with such and such, I've had to let them go and there were tears. I feel guilty.”

Coaches can spot what's wrong

Debbie says Matt was intuitive with his players and could sense when something wasn't right. Coaches work closely with people daily and notice behaviour changes others miss.

Physical health gets attention, mental doesn't

Sport emphasises physical wellbeing but neglects mental health. Debbie says there's an imbalance that needs to be explored with people in the sport.

“There's an awful lot of emphasis on the physical side of someone's wellbeing, but not the mental side.”

The Royal Foundation's toolkit

The Prince of Wales and Royal Foundation launched a nationwide toolkit called On Your Side to make suicide prevention as standard in sport as warm-up and training.

“to make suicide prevention as much a part of sport as warm-up, training and performance”

Finding the right therapist matters

Debbie emphasises that connecting with a therapist is difficult because you're opening up deeply personal feelings. You need to trust and feel comfortable with that person.

The practical aftermath of loss

Debbie still pays the same rent and bills but has lost a second income. She juggles school runs and childcare while grieving, facing both emotional and financial hardship.

“You've lost a second income. I've still got to pay the same amount of rent, bills, etc.”

Amanda's anger and guilt

Amanda feels angry at herself and haunted by what-ifs. She struggles with guilt over not preventing his death and the impact on her daughters, one of whom left for university.

“Why didn't I say that? And you've got all these 'what ifs'. You wouldn't wish it on your worst enemy.”

A force to be reckoned with

Debbie and Amanda have committed to meeting regularly and working together to change sport's culture. They want to ensure no other family experiences what they've endured.

“We're part of this club that we never wanted to be in but we are going to make people listen.”

Why they're speaking out

Debbie and Amanda are sharing their stories to expose the issue and push for real support systems. They want the toolkit implemented properly with accessible therapists and genuine connections.

“We don't want another family to go through this.”