Our son's death could have been prevented by FA, say parents of striker Billy Vigar
The parents of Billy Vigar, a 21-year-old former Arsenal academy player who died after colliding with a concrete wall during a football match, accuse the Football Association (FA) of negligence. They claim the FA failed to act on previous warnings and similar incidents, despite conducting a review.
Why it matters
This case raises critical questions about player safety in sports, the accountability of governing bodies, and the potential for regulatory failures to lead to preventable tragedies. It could prompt significant changes in sports safety standards and protocols.
Figure caption, Billy Vigar's parents speak about their son
Sports news correspondent Published 1 hour ago "You swing from sadness to anger because you just feel it could have been prevented."
That is the view of Camilla Vigar, whose son Billy, a former Arsenal academy player, died a year ago today from a "significant brain injury", five days after colliding with a concrete wall surrounding a pitch.
The 21-year-old striker was playing for Chichester City at Wingate and Finchley FC in north London.
In their first broadcast interview since their son's passing, the Vigar family accuse the Football Association of doing "nothing" after previous similar incidents.
"[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," she told BBC Sport.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in