'How can you be so disrespectful?' - Sheffield United slammed for not retiring late Maddy Cusack's shirt as family are left in the dark & 1,200-strong petition is ignored

A fan petition calling for Cusack's No.8 jersey to be retired in order to "keep her memory alive" collected 1,200 signatures. However, according toThe Athletic, Sheffield United chose not to listen to the request and hid this decision from the late midfielder's family. Rachel Iball, the supporter who started the petition, reacted with anger to this news, asking: "How can you be so disrespectful? I’m amazed the club could come to this decision when it (retiring Cusack’s number) is what the fans want."

Some people believe the club's decision is linked to the fact that Cusack's parents, David and Deborah, filed an official complaint lodging several grievances relating to their daughter's final seven months at the club. The FA launched an investigation into the matter following accusations that the 27-year-old's "irrepressible spirit" was broken by football.

Cusack was Sheffield United Women's longest-serving player and the first woman to rack up 100 appearances for the club. She died at her home in Horsley, Derbyshire, on September 20, 2023, and is believed to have taken her own life, with the police finding no suspicious circumstances. Revelations about her treatment at the Yorkshire club — with ex-coach Jonathan Morgan under serious scrutiny following her parents' complaints — have caused many to question what level of responsibility her former employers should take for her tragic death.

The decision not to retire Cusack's jersey only ramps up the pressure on the Women's Championship club. Nina Wilson, a former team-mate of Cusack's, said: “I can't help thinking that should the longest-serving player lose their life at any other club — while still playing there — the shirt would be retired immediately." A lot must be done to rebuild trust.