On Saturday night, the shocking news broke that Matt Beard, former Liverpool, West Ham and Chelsea manager had died.
It still doesn’t feel real that football has lost such a charismatic and incredible man.
Beard, or Beardy and he was affectionately known by many, won the WSL twice with Liverpool in 2013 and 2014, and also won the second-tier title and promotion when he returned to the club for a second spell in 2021.
He was a coach who had been and done it all. From the early days managing Chelsea in 2009, to taking over West Ham as they became a professional outfit and ultimately leading them to an FA Cup final at Wembley.
Beard’s legacy is seismic. He respected the women’s game, was constantly pushing for more and challenging the hierarchy at every club he managed. And he did it all with a huge smile and his trademark cheekiness.
In all the tributes that have been posted on social media, it’s the messages from players that stick out. Beard was like a second dad to many of the players he worked with. He guided them through their careers, showing love and compassion, and it has stuck with them all.
I was lucky enough to strike up a friendship with Matt in 2021 when I was regularly booking him for a radio show I worked on and he would politely oblige, while also winding me up about QPR. When I experienced a lot of social media abuse later that year, Matt reached out to me to check I was ok, regularly calling and messaging. He was such a caring man and had so much time for everyone.
Over the years as we would continue to message, we would joke about “Maternity Matt Beard” coming to try and save Bristol City from relegation, and he nearly did. That was the impact he had on players, they would run through brick walls for him.
As we all try and come to terms with such a huge loss to the women’s football community, let’s the remember the impact we can have on each other, those small moments that make a difference.
Thank you Beardy.