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The Football Association will conduct an immediate review into “the safety of perimeter walls and boundaries” around pitches after former Arsenal academy player Billy Vigar died at the age of 21 following a collision with a concrete wall during a match.
Vigar sustained a “significant brain injury” while playing for Chichester City against Wingate and Finchley after attempting to prevent the ball from crossing the touchline.
After being taken to hospital and placed in an induced coma, Vigar underwent surgery aimed at helping his recovery but he died on Thursday morning.
His death comes almost three years after the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) demanded that safety rules around advertising boards be “fully reviewed”.
The PFA’s call followed a similar injury suffered by Bath City striker Alex Fletcher, who collided with a concrete-backed advertising hoarding, leading to his retirement at the age of 25.
Following Vigar’s death, a petition calling for the “removal of brick walls and other hard, immovable structures surrounding pitches” has received thousands of signatures.
The petition, titled Vigar’s Law, states: “Billy’s passing is not an isolated incident – countless players at all levels have suffered serious injuries, including broken bones, concussions, and life-altering trauma, as a result of these dangerous barriers.
“Football is meant to be a sport of passion, skill, and community – not a place where a simple fall or a mistimed run can result in permanent injury or death.
“Yet many pitches, especially at grassroots and community level, remain bordered by solid brick walls placed only a few feet from the touchline. These walls serve no essential sporting purpose, yet they create an undeniable and avoidable hazard.”
It adds: “Billy Vigar’s death must be the last. We owe it to his memory – and to every player who steps onto a football pitch – to ensure that no one else suffers such a needless tragedy. Football should be a game of joy and community, not a place where preventable hazards claim young lives.”
In a statement on Friday, the FA said: “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Billy Vigar. Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with his family, friends, loved ones, and everyone at Chichester City FC, and tributes will be paid to Billy at National League System and Emirates FA Cup games this weekend.
“Whilst the health and safety of participants and spectators at the National League System level is the responsibility of the clubs and their local authorities, we will now conduct an immediate review, working with leagues, clubs and relevant stakeholders across the game, that will focus on the safety of perimeter walls and boundaries around pitches in the National League System.
“This will include looking at ways we can assist National League System clubs to identify and implement additional measures at their stadiums that they determine will help to mitigate any potential safety risks.”
PFA chief Maheta Molango has also called for an investigation following the tragedy, stating that players should have the right to expect they are not being “put at unnecessary or avoidable risk” and that it was vital to ensure “opportunities to make grounds safer for players have not been missed”.
Vigar joined Arsenal’s academy on schoolboy terms aged 14, and the young forward went on to earn a full-time scholarship for the 2020/21 season.
Although he appeared for the Gunners in the EFL Trophy, Vigar, who also had a loan spell with Derby Under-21s and at Eastbourne Borough, left the club in the summer of 2024, signing for Hastings before a move to Chichester last month.
A statement from Vigar’s family, posted by Chichester, read: “After sustaining a significant brain injury last Saturday, Billy Vigar was put in an induced coma.
“On Tuesday, he needed an operation to aid any chances of recovery. Although this helped, the injury proved too much for him and he passed away on Thursday (25th) morning.
“The responses to the original update show how much Billy was thought of and loved within the sport. His family are devastated that this has happened whilst he was playing the sport that he loved.”
“Everyone at Arsenal is devastated by the shocking news that former academy graduate Billy Vigar has passed away,” the Premier League club said in a statement.
“All our thoughts are with his family and loved ones at this time. Rest in peace, Billy.”
Includes reporting from PA
