Rehanne Skinner questions decision for WSL games to go ahead last week after Matt Beard’s death | OneFootball

(Karl W newton/SPP)

West Ham head coach Rehanne Skinner has questioned the decision to allow Women’s Super League fixtures to go ahead last weekend following the death of Matt Beard.

The passing of the former WSL title-winning manager was announced on the evening of Saturday, September 20th.

West Ham’s trip to Brighton was one of three games that went ahead a day later, despite Beard managing the Hammers between 2018 and 2020.

Chelsea, who Beard managed from 2009 to 2012, saw their fixture with Leicester City go ahead as planned. The third game which took place was Arsenal’s goalless draw with Manchester United.

The only game to be postponed was Liverpool’s trip to Aston Villa. Beard won two WSL titles during his first stint with Liverpool, before his second stint ended in February this year.

Speaking ahead of West Ham’s clash with Chelsea, Skinner questioned the lack of consideration for players and staff who had close ties to Beard.

Why Rehanne Skinner felt WSL games should have been postponed

As per Girls on the Ball, Rehanne Skinner questioned why the WSL proceeded as normal despite the emotional toll on so many involved in the sport, following the death of Matt Beard.

She said: “For me, I don’t know why any of the games were on at the weekend because the amount of people, players, coaching staff across the game that have obviously known Matt. I think the expectation on what people had to do at the weekend was not assessed properly at all.

Skinner referenced the passing of player Maddie Cusack two years ago as another moment when the sport faced heartbreak.

“We’re two years down the line from another massive tragedy, a player that we lost in Maddie Cusack. And I think the contingency plans around these things need to be looked into in much more detail,” she explained

“When you see some of the players and some of the staff that have had to go through the weekend… we shouldn’t be putting people in that position.

Rehanne Skinner pays tribute to Matt Beard

While expressing her criticism of the weekend’s fixtures, Skinner also shared a personal memory of Matt Beard.

She revealed that despite not being particularly close to him, he reached out to her with kindness at a difficult time in her own career.

“When I got the sack at Tottenham, we weren’t really close, Matt and I, but there was a mutual respect and we would chat about things… but he was one of the first people who phoned me actually,” she recalled.

“I think those are the bits that people always remember about him, the type of character that he was and how influential he’d been in the game.”

Tributes have continued to pour in for Beard this week, including after Liverpool’s League Cup win over Sunderland.

Defender Jenna Clark paid an emotional tribute, while Gareth Taylor said Beard would be proud of the squad.

Liverpool face Manchester United this weekend, and Red Devils boss Marc Skinner said he expects an ’emotionally charged’ game.