The wall which former non-league footballer Billy Vigar’s head struck, resulting in his tragic death, has been demolished amid an FA review into pitchside safety
The wall that non-league footballer Billy Vigar struck, resulting in his tragic death, has been demolished.
The 21-year-old, who played for Isthmian Premier League side Chichester City and was formerly of Arsenal’s academy, died in hospital days after suffering severe head injuries when he collided with a pitchside wall at Wingate and Finchley last month.
Vigar was placed in an induced coma after suffering a serious brain injury but an operation was unable to save his life. The striker tragically died just days later.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, the FA have stated it will carry out a safety review of perimeter walls in the National League and below.
Wingate and Finchley’s ground complied with the current regulations, but a decision has been taken to immediately knock down the wall.
Following Vigar’s death, an online petition calling for brick walls around pitches to be banned reached over 4,000 signatures.
An FA spokesperson commented on the review: “[It woudl] 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.”
The Professional Footballers Association (PFA) have also called for a full investigation and said that players should “not be put at unnecessary and avoidable risk”.
Previously, the government and PFA wrote to the Premier League, the FA, the EFL and the National League in June 2023 calling for a more proactive approach to player safety after Bath City’s Alex Fletcher suffered a fractured skull when he struck a concrete advertising board during a match in November 2022.
Fletcher was placed in an induced coma and eventually made a brief return to football before he retired.
“Since I’ve made my recovery back on the pitch there was something about my game that was missing,” Fletcher said upon hanging up his boots.
The Daily Star is spearheading a campaign to end the danger of brick walls around football pitches in the UK.
The Balls To Walls crusade bids to force the FA to make every playing area a safe place for players in the wake of Vigar’s heart-breaking passing.
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