An unfortunate announcement on the evening of September 21, 2025, at 7:28 p.m. left the soccer community astounded. Renowned women’s game coach Matt Beard passed away at just 47. A loving husband, father of two sons, brother, uncle, and, above all, a significant figure in the history of the beautiful game, the sudden loss of “Beardy” has left everyone who knew him heartbroken. Beyond the many tributes that have poured in since, Beard’s friend has also stepped up with a sincere gesture to support his family in this difficult time.

Jacqueline Anne Oatley MBE is a name that we bet you must have heard. For those unaware, she is a renowned English commentator and broadcaster, currently doing gigs for TNT Sports UK. After hearing about the tragic news, she was left stunned and even publicly expressed her grief online. Now, a couple of days later, Otley has again stepped up for her late friend by setting up a fundraiser on Just Giving.

Sharing the link of the fundraiser in a tweet while making a plea from the soccer community to donate as much as they can, she wrote a message saying, “This is such a painful time for everyone who knew Matt Beard. If friends or supporters wish to ease the burden of funeral costs, etc, here’s a way to support Matt’s wife Debbie as she and the kids attempt to process the sudden loss of this lovely man.”

And the best part? The fundraiser has outdone itself beyond its expectations. Well, if you visit the website, the title itself says that Jacqui Oatley was aiming to raise £5000, close to $6800, to help Matt Beard’s wife Debbie and his family with “immediate funeral and living costs.” Guess how much has been raised so far? £31,517, or $42,600 from just 535 donations—a whopping 630% raise from the initial target.

No wonder that after witnessing such an overwhelming response from the entire soccer community, Oatley—known for her work across the FIFA World Cup, Premier League, FA Women’s Super League, UEFA Champions League, NWSL, and UEFA international matches—returned to X to express her heartfelt thanks to everyone who contributed to the fundraiser.

“Blown away by the way the women’s football community is wrapping its arms around Matt Beard’s widow Debbie, kids Harry, Ellie, and all the family. The kind words alongside the donations mean so much to them right now,” she wrote. Boy, she must be feeling good to have been able to do something like this for her dear friend. Well, she had to, considering the kind of admiration, respect, and, more importantly, the bond she had with Beard.

Everyone seems to have a special memory of Matt Beard

Since the news broke about the sudden passing of Matt Beard, tributes have been pouring in for the former Liverpool, Burnley, and Chelsea manager. Among them, Jacqui Oatley also shared a heartfelt message that reflected both her shock and sorrow. She recalled first meeting Beard in the early 2000s, when he was working as an estate agent in Ealing while also serving as Keith Boanas’ assistant at Charlton Athletic Women.

Oatley remembered how he showed her around a house at the time, when she was covering men’s and women’s football for the BBC. Beard, she noted, went on to become Chelsea Women’s manager before guiding Liverpool to back-to-back WSL titles. To her, he was always a lovely man—friendly, approachable, and never too tired or busy to help with team news and formations ahead of big games. Oatley also reflected on how he narrowly missed out on the England job multiple times.

“Never received the credit he deserved, in my humble opinion, as he didn’t work with big budgets. But regardless, he never changed from being the kind, warm, likeable soul he always was,” Oatley added her condolences, sending love to Deb, Harry, Ellie, and Scott, and assuring them that Matt will never be forgotten.

Further highlighting his achievements, she wrote in another tweet, “He was also a hugely significant figure in the evolution of the women’s game in England. There’s an enormous wave of grief washing over those of us lucky enough to have known him. In time, we’ll make sure something positive comes out of this tragedy. For now, we’re all thinking about the wonderful person who’s left the touchline forever.“

By now, after seeing the heartfelt tributes from former players, fellow managers, coaches, and journalists, it’s clear that Matt Beard was a truly special person.