Sheffield United sack Jonathan Morgan over ‘relationship with player’ at former club
Jonathan Morgan has been sacked as the Sheffield United Women’s manager over what the club described as his “conduct before arriving at Bramall Lane”.
The agency that represented Morgan, Tongue Tied Management (TTM), referred to a relationship between him and a player under his charge and said that it had terminated its contract with him.
Last month Morgan resumed his duties at Sheffield United after an investigation into his conduct before the death of the player Maddy Cusack had found no evidence of wrongdoing.
The 27-year-old Cusack, who made 110 appearances for the club and worked as a marketing executive there, died in September. Police said they were not treating her death as suspicious.
Morgan, who managed Leicester and Burnley previously, had stepped away from his job in October after a formal complaint was made against him by Cusack’s family, prompting the club to announce an independent investigation.
That investigation concluded on 18 December that there had been no evidence of wrongdoing. On 25 January the Football Association announced it would open a formal investigation into the circumstances surrounding Cusack’s death.
A Sheffield United statement on Morgan’s departure said: “Due to new information that has come to light within the last few days with regards to Mr Morgan’s conduct before arriving at Bramall Lane, the club has reached the conclusion that Mr Morgan’s position is no longer tenable and his employment with the club has been terminated.
“Luke Turner has agreed to take the role of interim head coach for the foreseeable future, including Sunday’s Women’s Championship fixture at Durham Women.”
TTM said: “In the last 24 hours we have learnt new information regarding Jonathan Morgan and a relationship with a player under his charge. We will no longer be working with him in any capacity and the termination of our relationship is with immediate effect. The termination of this contract is a critical measure in preserving the integrity of our agency.
“We are absolute in our view that safeguarding standards and processes should apply to all athletes, be they male or female. At Tongue Tied Management we are committed to maintaining an environment of respect, integrity, trust and accountability within the sports industry.”