The parents of former Arsenal academy player Billy Vigar have spoken out against the Football Association (FA) a year after the tragic passing of their son. They assert that the incident could have been avoided, as there had been similar occurrences beforehand.
Vigar, just 21, sustained a severe head injury on 20 September 2025 during a match between Chichester City and Wingate & Finchley. In an effort to keep the ball in play near the touchline, he collided with a concrete barrier.
He was promptly taken to hospital and placed in an induced coma. Despite surgical intervention, the injuries were too extensive, and Vigar sadly passed away on 25 September.
Following this tragedy, safety regulations were reviewed, resulting in the National League System clubs being mandated to remove or safeguard brick and concrete walls near the pitch.
One year on, Vigar's parents have expressed that such measures should have been implemented much earlier.
The family stated:
Billy had his whole life ahead of him. He was only 21, and he lost it playing football, something that shouldn’t have happened.
I personally believe that the FA could have prevented Billy’s death, as there were too many warnings.
They emphasised that they think the FA only started to take the issue seriously after their son's death:
Only after Billy’s tragic passing did the FA finally start addressing this issue.
To me, this is a complete dereliction of duty, and someone should be held accountable for this oversight.
The family is also advocating for the new safety requirements to be enforced across all levels of organised football in England.
They added:
There may still be places where organised football is played with unsafe barriers around the pitch.
We would like to see these recommendations or regulations extended to cover all of football.
