Mum of Billy Vigar Accuses FA of Inaction in Son's Death
Mother claims Football Association ignored warnings after similar incident, leading to her son's fatal collision with a concrete wall.
The mother of former Arsenal academy player Billy Vigar has accused the Football Association (FA) of failing to take adequate action to prevent her son's death, despite prior warnings from similar incidents. Billy Vigar died at the age of 21 in September of the previous year after sustaining a severe brain injury during a match.
His mother, Camilla Vigar, stated in an interview with BBC Sport that she believes the FA could have intervened to save her son's life. Vigar suffered a fatal injury when he collided with a concrete wall bordering the pitch at Wingate and Finchley during a match in the Isthmian League Premier Division. He was subsequently placed in an induced coma.
Camilla Vigar highlighted a previous incident in 2022 where Alex Fletcher fractured his skull after a similar collision with concrete barriers at Bath City's ground. She contends that the FA conducted reviews with clubs following Fletcher's injury but that these measures proved insufficient. "As far as I'm aware, nothing was done with that information and it just sat there," she said.
She further noted that one of the clubs identified as high-risk, Wingate, was the venue where her son ultimately lost his life. The FA reportedly initiated a safety review after Vigar's death, investigating approximately 900 clubs. Over 150 clubs within the men's and women's National League systems were subsequently instructed to implement changes, such as covering structural walls with padding, as soon as practicable.
At the time of the review, the FA commented, "This important work is under way, and we will continue to fully support the clubs involved."
Vigar had a history with Arsenal's Hale End academy, joining on schoolboy terms at 14 and progressing to sign scholarship terms in 2020 and a professional contract in 2022. He was part of their under-21s setup until the year of his death. He later joined Hastings United in 2024 and then Chichester, a non-league Step 3 side, over the summer.
His family released a statement following his death, detailing that he had undergone surgery after sustaining the brain injury, but that it ultimately proved too severe. The statement expressed their devastation at his passing while playing the sport he loved, noting the widespread affection and respect Billy Vigar commanded within the football community.