Everton’s Phelan calls for Beard recognition at Anfield 2026

Key Points

• Everton Women assistant coach Scott Phelan is lobbying for Matt Beard to get recognition in the Merseyside derby.
• Phelan expressed his appreciation for what Beard did for women’s football in developing the sport.
• He claimed that no one ever said anything negative about the former Liverpool Women manager.
• Phelan referred to Beard as the kind of person that has contributed a lot to making standards higher in women’s football.
• These statements emphasize the continued recognition that Beard gets from key people in Merseyside football.
• This information has been provided by Royal Blue Mersey in their reporting about Everton Women and Liverpool Women.
• This recognition would be very meaningful due to his long affiliation with Liverpool Women.

Anfield (Liverpool standard) September 26, 2026 — Everton Women assistant coach Scott Phelan has called for Matt Beard to be recognised during the Merseyside derby, praising the former Liverpool Women manager’s contribution to the growth of women’s football.

The comments were reported by Royal Blue Mersey in an article titled “Everton Women’s Scott Phelan calls for Matt Beard tribute”. The report did not identify the author in the available page text, so no individual journalist attribution has been added.

Phelan said Beard had made a substantial contribution to the women’s game and suggested that his influence extended beyond his own clubs and teams.

“I think he [Matt Beard] did a massive amount [for women’s football],” Phelan said, according to Royal Blue Mersey.

The Everton coach also highlighted the level of personal respect Beard has earned during his career. Phelan said he was yet to meet anyone who had “a single bad word to say about him”, presenting Beard as a widely respected figure within the women’s football community.

Why has Everton Women called for a derby tribute?

The call for recognition is linked to the close footballing relationship between Everton and Liverpool, whose women’s teams share the same city and represent one of English football’s most established rivalries.

Although the Merseyside derby is traditionally defined by competition, the fixture can also provide an opportunity to acknowledge people who have made a lasting contribution to football in the region. Phelan’s comments suggest that Beard’s work is viewed as significant enough to deserve recognition even in a fixture involving Everton’s city rivals.

The precise form of any tribute was not specified in the available report. It is therefore unclear whether the proposed recognition would involve a formal announcement, a presentation, a moment of applause or another arrangement connected with the match.

Phelan’s request appears to be centred on appreciation rather than rivalry. His comments focused on Beard’s impact on women’s football and the standards he helped establish, rather than on his previous association with Liverpool alone.

How did Matt Beard influence women’s football?

Phelan said Beard had played an important role in raising standards in the women’s game.

“He [Matt Beard] did a massive amount [for women’s football],” Phelan said, according to the report. He added that “it is people like him who have raised the standards for the women’s game”.royalbluemersey.sbnation

That assessment places Beard’s work within the wider development of women’s football. The reference to higher standards may include the professional expectations, coaching practices and competitive structures that have evolved as the women’s game has become more established.

However, the available report did not provide a detailed list of specific achievements or initiatives attributed to Beard. It also did not include further comments from Beard, Liverpool Women or Everton Women about the proposed recognition.

The significance of Phelan’s remarks lies in the fact that they came from an Everton figure speaking positively about a coach strongly associated with Liverpool Women. That context gives the comments additional weight because the praise was made across the rivalry rather than from within Beard’s former club alone.

What was Matt Beard’s connection with Liverpool Women?

Matt Beard is closely associated with Liverpool Women, having been involved with the club during an important period in its history. Phelan’s comments referred to Beard as someone whose influence reached beyond the teams he managed.

The available article focused on the call for recognition and Phelan’s assessment of Beard’s contribution. It did not set out a full career timeline, list his honours or explain the precise circumstances surrounding his departure from Liverpool Women.

For that reason, the development should be understood primarily as a public tribute proposal from Phelan, rather than as an announcement of a confirmed ceremony or official club decision.

Phelan’s wording also emphasised Beard’s standing among people working in women’s football. His claim that he had not met anyone with a bad word to say about Beard portrayed the coach as a figure respected not only for his results but also for his wider influence and relationships within the game.royalbluemersey.sbnation

What does Scott Phelan’s statement mean for the Merseyside derby?

The statement could add a commemorative element to an otherwise competitive fixture if Everton, Liverpool or the relevant match organisers decide to act on the suggestion.

A tribute to Beard would also reflect the development of women’s football as a collective effort involving coaches, players, administrators and clubs. Phelan’s comments indicate that progress in the women’s game is not being viewed solely through individual results or trophies. Instead, he connected Beard’s contribution with the broader process of improving standards.

The available report did not confirm that a tribute had been formally arranged. It only recorded Phelan’s call for Beard to receive recognition. Any future plans would need to be confirmed by the clubs or competition authorities.

The proposal may nevertheless be meaningful to supporters of both teams. Everton and Liverpool fans could interpret a tribute as an acknowledgement of the people who helped build the women’s game, while still maintaining the importance of the derby itself.

What has Everton Women said about Matt Beard?

Phelan’s comments represent the main Everton Women position reported in the source article. He praised Beard’s contribution and called attention to his reputation within women’s football.

No further Everton Women statement was included in the available report. There was also no reported response from Liverpool Women or Beard himself.

The wording attributed to Phelan was supportive but measured. He did not make a claim about a specific upcoming event, nor did he suggest that Beard’s recognition had already been approved. His comments were instead framed as an appeal for the coach’s contribution to be acknowledged.

That distinction is important. A call for a tribute is not the same as confirmation that a tribute will take place. Until an official announcement is made, the exact arrangements remain uncertain.

What is known about the proposed tribute?

The available information confirms three points: Phelan wants Beard to receive recognition, he believes Beard made a major contribution to women’s football, and he considers Beard widely respected within the sport.

The report does not confirm:

• The date or venue of a tribute.
• Whether Everton or Liverpool has approved the proposal.
• The form any recognition would take.
• Whether Beard would attend.
• Whether the tribute would be organised by a club, the league or match officials.

These details would need to come from an official announcement or a subsequent report. At present, the story centres on Phelan’s comments and the respect he expressed for Beard.

Why could recognition matter to supporters?

Recognition for Beard could provide supporters with a moment to reflect on the progress of women’s football and the individuals who helped shape it.

For Everton fans, the proposal comes from a member of their women’s coaching staff and places the club in a position of acknowledging an important figure connected with the city’s football history. For Liverpool supporters, it may recognise the work of a coach associated with their women’s team.

The potential tribute could also reinforce the idea that local rivalries and professional respect can exist together. Phelan’s comments did not diminish the competitive nature of the derby. Instead, they separated the sporting contest from an appreciation of Beard’s broader contribution.

That balance is particularly relevant to women’s football, where coaches and players who helped establish higher professional standards are increasingly being recognised for their long-term impact.

What happens next?

The next step would be confirmation from Everton Women, Liverpool Women or the relevant competition organisers about whether any tribute will take place.

Until such confirmation is issued, the proposal remains Phelan’s public call rather than a completed club arrangement. Further details could clarify whether the recognition would take place before kick-off, during the match or through another form of acknowledgement.

The clubs may also decide that the most appropriate recognition should be made separately from the derby. The available report does not indicate which approach, if any, will be followed.

What is clear from Phelan’s remarks is that he believes Beard’s work deserves to be remembered. His comments framed Beard as a person whose influence helped raise standards across women’s football, rather than as a figure relevant only to one club.

Background to Matt Beard’s contribution

Matt Beard has been a prominent figure in women’s football, particularly through his association with Liverpool Women. Scott Phelan’s comments, as reported by Royal Blue Mersey, presented Beard’s contribution as part of the wider development of the women’s game.

Phelan said Beard had done “a massive amount” for women’s football and argued that people like him had helped raise standards. He also said he had not met anyone with a bad word to say about Beard, underlining the level of respect attributed to him within the sport.royalbluemersey.sbnation

The available source did not provide a complete account of Beard’s career, his honours or his coaching record. Those details have therefore not been added here to avoid introducing information that was not contained in the supplied report.

How could this development affect Everton and Liverpool supporters?

If a tribute is confirmed, it could give supporters of Everton and Liverpool an opportunity to recognise the wider development of women’s football while attending one of English football’s most significant local fixtures.

For Everton supporters, Phelan’s comments may strengthen the club’s association with efforts to acknowledge influential figures in the women’s game. Liverpool supporters may welcome recognition for a coach connected with the club’s women’s football history.

The immediate sporting impact would likely be limited because the proposal concerns recognition rather than team selection, tactics or league standings. Its main effect would be symbolic: highlighting the contribution of coaches such as Beard and reminding supporters that the growth of women’s football has involved people from across the football community.

No confirmed tribute has been reported in the available source, so supporters should wait for official club or competition announcements before assuming that an event will take place.