Liverpool pay tribute to Matt Beard on return to WSL action

ST HELENS, England -- Among the oversea of flags decorating St Helens' Stadium during Liverpool's Women's Super League (WSL) clash with Manchester United, determination was 1 peculiarly poignant addition.

"Liverpool was made for Matt and Matt was made for Liverpool," work the banner, displayed successful tribute to the hosts' erstwhile manager Matt Beard, who passed distant past play astatine the property of 47.

Just 8 days connected from that devastating news, Liverpool fell to a 2-0 defeat to United connected Merseyside acknowledgment to goals from Hinata Miyazawa and Ella Toone. But, for caput manager Gareth Taylor and his players, the challenges surrounding Sunday's crippled extended acold beyond matters connected the pitch.

Fourteen of the 20 players successful Liverpool's matchday squad played nether Beard earlier helium was dismissed successful February, pursuing a drawstring of disappointing results. Eight members of the squad that started against United were signed by Beard, portion much than fractional of defender Gemma Bonner's 200 WSL appearances -- a landmark she reached connected Sunday -- came nether him astatine Chelsea and crossed 2 abstracted spells astatine Liverpool.

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It was during that archetypal play connected Merseyside that some Beard and Bonner helped to present the club's archetypal ever WSL rubric successful 2013, which they successfully defended the pursuing season. The Liverpool fans successful attendance against United honoured that feat with chants of "Matt Beard's Mighty Reds" successful the 13th and 14th minutes.

To galore of those supporters, Beard was not conscionable a shot manager but a friend. After games astatine the club's erstwhile stadium, Prenton Park -- wherever they played until 2024, helium could regularly beryllium recovered signing autographs agelong aft the last whistle, earlier joining fans for a postmatch portion astatine the pub adjacent door.

It was a level of familiarity that defied Beard's presumption arsenic 1 of the astir high-profile and palmy managers successful WSL history. But, successful galore ways, it was that easy-going persona which acceptable him isolated from his contemporaries and won the affections of truthful galore wrong the women's game.

"It's uncommon for a shot manager to beryllium truthful loved by truthful galore players," Liverpool skipper Grace Fisk said successful a heartfelt tribute posted to the club's website this week. "He coached hundreds of players but had interactions with galore much and helium conscionable had this mode of drafting radical to him.

"We saw however competitory helium was connected the sidelines, truthful loud, rowdy and shouting your ears disconnected 1 infinitesimal but past joking with you astir it 20 minutes later. He conscionable had this warmth astir him and helium cared truthful overmuch astir people. If you were playing severely oregon had a atrocious grooming session, he'd marque you consciousness similar your worries were conscionable silly. I deliberation the effect helium had connected everyone was truly special."

Indeed, the outpouring of emotion that has greeted Beard's passing speaks volumes astir the contributions helium made to the satellite of women's football. The London-born coach, affectionately dubbed "Beardy" by those who...