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The family of former Arsenal academy player Billy Vigar have renewed calls for improved football ground safety, one year after the 21-year-old died following a collision with a concrete perimeter wall.
His parents have questioned whether the Football Association (FA) acted quickly enough after previous incidents, as new safety regulations are introduced across the non-league game.
FA face fresh stadium safety questions a year on from Billy Vigar death
Vigar died on September 25th 2025, five days after suffering a significant brain injury when he collided with a concrete wall while playing for Chichester City against Wingate and Finchley.
In an interview with the BBC, his parents – Camilla and Keith Vigar – said they believed the FA could have prevented the tragedy.
They pointed to previous incidents involving amateur footballer Ben Hiscox, who died in 2015 after colliding with a clubhouse, and former Bath City player Alex Fletcher, who suffered a fractured skull in 2022 after hitting concrete barriers at Twerton Park.
The FA reviewed more than 900 clubs following Vigar's death, with updated stadium criteria introduced last month banning solid brick, breeze block and concrete barriers around pitches.
A total of 169 clubs across the men's National League System and Women's National League have been told to make changes as soon as reasonably practicable. Where walls are structural, they must be covered with suitable protection.
The FA said the work was underway, with funding provided by the governing body and the Premier League.
Several affected clubs have welcomed the changes, although some have questioned why action was not taken sooner.
The Vigars and Fletcher have also called for safety regulations to be extended beyond the leagues currently covered.
FGG says: Football ground safety must remain a priority for the FA
The Vigar family's grief and their calls for accountability deserve to be treated with sensitivity and respect.
Their concerns, alongside the experiences of other players who have suffered serious injuries, underline the importance of examining whether existing safety measures were sufficient.
The updated regulations and funding for affected clubs represent a change, but questions remain over the time taken to introduce them and whether protections should extend to every level of organised football.
No family should have to endure the loss of a loved one in circumstances where preventable risks may have played a part.