A year on from the death of Billy Vigar, his parents have broken their silence — and they are angry. In their first broadcast interview since losing their son, Camilla and Keith Vigar have accused the Football Association of doing "nothing" despite a series of prior incidents that should have prompted urgent action on dangerous pitch-side barriers.

Billy Vigar, a 21-year-old striker and former Arsenal academy player, died from a "significant brain injury" five days after colliding with a concrete wall surrounding the pitch during a match for Chichester City at Wingate and Finchley FC in north London. He passed away on 25 September 2024.

"You swing from sadness to anger because you just feel it could have been prevented," Camilla Vigar told BBC Sport. "I personally feel that the FA could have stopped Billy losing his life because they had so many warnings."

A pattern of preventable incidents

The Vigar family point to at least two earlier cases that they believe should have compelled the FA to act decisively long before Billy's death.

In 2015, amateur footballer Ben Hiscox died after colliding with a clubhouse wall near Bristol. Following a coroner's warning about the risk of future deaths, padding was added to the structure at Stoke Gifford United and the run-off area between the clubhouse and pitch was increased. Yet, the Vigars argue, the lessons were never applied more broadly across the game.

Then, in 2022, Alex Fletcher fractured his skull after hitting concrete barriers beside the pitch at Bath City's ground. Fletcher was ultimately forced to retire in 2024 due to his injuries. The FA conducted a review of clubs in the aftermath — but, according to Camilla Vigar, nothing tangible came of it.

"As far as I'm aware, nothing was done with that information and it just sat there. One of the clubs as far as I'm aware that was highlighted as being one of the high-risk clubs was Wingate [and Finchley], where Billy then lost his life," she said.

When BBC Sport asked the FA to explain what action was taken following that review, the governing body declined to comment.

169 clubs told to make changes

At the time of Vigar's accident, the FA's stadium accreditation criteria — which covers the National League System in men's football and the Women's National League — actually required clubs to have a "permanent" barrier around the pitch "of sound construction (eg concrete and steel)". In other words, the very structures that contributed to his death were, at the time, mandated by FA guidelines.

Following Vigar's death, the FA launched a safety review of more than 900 clubs, overseen by independent experts. The criteria has since been updated and now "no longer permits solid brick, breeze block or concrete barriers around pitches". Where structural walls cannot be removed, they must be covered with appropriate padding.

A total of 169 clubs across the men's National League System and the Women's National League have been informed they must make the necessary changes "as soon as is reasonably practicable". Funding for the work is being provided jointly by the FA and the Premier League.

Among those affected is Bromsgrove Sporting near Birmingham, whose concrete-walled pitch enclosure will require modification. The club described the changes as "completely understandable and long overdue", adding that they were "grateful for the 100% funding from the FA". Sheppey United in Kent, with concrete supporting walls along two sides of their 3G pitch, told BBC Sport the remedial works were "more a reactive response rather than a proactive one" — a sentiment that will resonate with the Vigar family.

Bath City, the club where Alex Fletcher was so badly injured, welcomed the revised regulations and acknowledged that funding support was essential for implementation at grassroots level.

A family demanding accountability

Keith Vigar, who works in the health and safety industry, and his wife Camilla are not simply seeking acknowledgement. They want systemic change — and they want assurance that no other family will go through what they have endured.

"[Billy] had his whole life ahead of him. He was 21 years old and he lost it playing football when he didn't need to," Camilla said.

The FA's belated review and regulatory overhaul may represent genuine progress. But for a family mourning a young man who died playing a sport he loved, the question of why it took his death — rather than the deaths and life-altering injuries that came before — to trigger meaningful action remains painfully unanswered.

Frequently asked

Who was Billy Vigar and how did he die?
Billy Vigar was a 21-year-old striker and former Arsenal academy player who died on 25 September 2024 from a significant brain injury sustained five days earlier, after colliding with a concrete wall surrounding the pitch during a match for Chichester City at Wingate and Finchley FC.
What has the FA changed following Billy Vigar's death?
Following a safety review of more than 900 clubs, the FA updated its stadium accreditation criteria to ban solid brick, breeze block or concrete barriers around pitches. Where structural walls cannot be removed, they must be padded. A total of 169 clubs have been told to make changes, with funding provided by the FA and the Premier League.
Were there previous warnings about dangerous pitch-side barriers in football?
Yes. Amateur footballer Ben Hiscox died in 2015 after hitting a clubhouse wall near Bristol, and a coroner issued a warning to the FA about future deaths. In 2022, Alex Fletcher suffered a fractured skull at Bath City's ground and was forced to retire. The FA conducted a review after Fletcher's injury but, according to Billy Vigar's parents, no meaningful action followed.