Former Liverpool coach Matt Beard has died at 47: WSL match postponed.

Match postponed due to tragic loss

According to The Sun: The women's Liverpool team match in the Super League against Aston Villa has been postponed due to the death of former manager Matt Beard.

The tragic news came on Saturday evening — Beard passed away at the age of 47.

Club announcement

Following Beard's sudden death, Liverpool decided to postpone the match against Aston Villa, which was scheduled to take place at 12 noon.

The club's statement read:

“Liverpool's game in the Barclays Women's Super League against Aston Villa today has been postponed. This is due to the tragic news of the death of former LFC Women manager Matt Beard. The match at Villa Park, scheduled for 12:00 BST, will not take place. Details of the rescheduling will be confirmed later.”

The club Burnley, which Beard joined in June but only stayed for two months, also announced the postponement of the FA WPL Premier Division game against West Brom in tribute.

Their statement said:

“Burnley’s match against West Bromwich Albion, which was set to take place on Sunday, September 21, has been postponed due to the death of Matt Beard. Details of the rescheduling will also be confirmed later.”

Legacy and tribute

Matt Beard, who left behind a wife and two children, was a prominent coach in women's football, winning the WSL with Liverpool twice. He started with the Millwall Lionesses, later coached Chelsea, Liverpool, Boston Breakers, West Ham, Bristol City, and then returned to Liverpool before joining Burnley earlier this year.

In the wake of the tragic news, tributes to Beard have poured in from the women's football community. US national team manager Emma Hayes, who succeeded Beard at Chelsea, described him as “one of the best people” and “a leader of the women’s game”. England star Millie Bright expressed that her “heart is absolutely broken”.

Football commentator Jacqui Oatley noted:

“Matt was a wonderful person. I think he never received the recognition he deserved in his career because he didn't work with big budgets. But despite that, he always remained kind, warm, and a lovely man.”

Matches taking place today in WSL and WSL2 will begin with a minute of silence in memory of Beard.

This is a developing story...

The death of Matt Beard is a tremendous loss for women's football, and clubs, players, and fans continue to pay tribute to his memory. His legacy will leave a mark in the hearts of those who knew him and worked with him. The place he held in football is hard to replace, as he was not only a coach but also a person with a big heart.