Debbie Beard and Amanda Thorpe unite to demand suicide prevention becomes part of sport

Warning: this article discusses suicide and mental-health distress.

Debbie Beard and Amanda Thorpe, who had never met before losing their husbands, have joined forces to call for suicide prevention to become a routine part of sporting life.

Two families united by grief

Matt Beard, the former Liverpool Women manager, died in hospital on 20 September 2025. An inquest into his death has not concluded, although he is believed to have taken his own life. He had left his position as Burnley Women manager after only two months.

Graham Thorpe, the former England and Surrey cricketer, took his own life in 2024 after struggling with depression and anxiety. Amanda Thorpe has previously said she believes he might still be alive had he received more support from the England and Wales Cricket Board after losing his coaching role.

Following the inquest into Graham Thorpe's death, the ECB described it as “a profound tragedy” and a “stark reminder of the challenges many face with mental health”. Burnley said it was aware of an ongoing legal process concerning Matt Beard's death and would not comment.

How losing work affected their husbands

Amanda said Graham had been struggling for between a year and 18 months during the Covid period, while also dealing with the pressures of working under restrictions. She said he was devastated when he unexpectedly lost his job after a difficult Ashes series and became increasingly overwhelmed by embarrassment, shame and a sense that he had failed.

“He was in this tunnel where he thought he'd messed it all up,” Amanda said. Although Graham attended therapy, she later learned that he had mentioned suicide during treatment. She said she had not known this at the time and felt he may have needed more intensive help, possibly residential care, but did not know where to find it.

Debbie said Matt's behaviour had changed in retrospect. His team had been struggling and he faced abuse on social media, while he was unable to discuss the full situation publicly. She said he had spoken to his brother about his mental health but repeatedly reassured his family that he was all right.

“He didn't want to concern me and the family that he was having these thoughts and that he was going through these different struggles,” Debbie said. She also recalled that Matt began drinking more and taking greater risks after his sacking, which came unexpectedly.

A call for earlier conversations

The women spoke to BBC business editor Simon Jack at an event launched by the Prince of Wales and the Royal Foundation. The event promoted On Your Side, a nationwide set of resources intended to make suicide prevention “as much a part of sport as warm-up, training and performance”.

Debbie said people involved in sport are often well placed to notice changes in colleagues, players and participants because they see them regularly. She argued that sporting organisations put significant emphasis on physical wellbeing but need to examine mental wellbeing with the same seriousness.

“It's a very difficult conversation. It's very hard,” she said, while encouraging people to act when they notice changes in someone close to them. Debbie also described how Matt, who was highly attuned to his players' needs, would speak privately with them when he sensed something was wrong.

Amanda said Graham's illness led him to withdraw from friends and feel isolated, despite reassurances that people had not abandoned him. “That's how he felt. He felt very isolated,” she said.

Their message is that mental-health crises can affect people who appear successful, happy and resilient. Both women want sport at every level—from elite teams to grassroots clubs—to build stronger systems of support and make it easier to have difficult conversations before a crisis becomes fatal.

If you or someone you know is at immediate risk, contact emergency services. In the UK and ROI, Samaritans can be reached free on 116 123; other local crisis services are also available.