One year after the death of Chichester City forward Billy Vigar, his family has marked the anniversary by expressing a mixture of profound grief and enduring anger towards football’s governing bodies.
Vigar, a former Arsenal academy player and Worthing resident, died on 25 September 2025, five days after sustaining a significant brain injury during an Isthmian League Premier Division match. He had collided with a concrete perimeter wall at Wingate & Finchley’s Maurice Rebak Stadium during the first half of the fixture on 20 September.
On the first anniversary of his death, the Vigar family have accused the Football Association (FA) of a “dereliction of duty,” suggesting that previous safety warnings regarding pitch-side barriers had not been sufficiently acted upon before the fatal accident.
Safety reforms and the ‘Billy Vigar Rule’
The tragedy prompted a nationwide review of perimeter safety. In August 2026, the FA formally announced a ban on solid brick, breeze block, or concrete barriers around pitches within the National League System. The new regulations, which affect Steps 1 to 6 of the men’s game and Tiers 3 to 4 of the women’s game, mandate the removal of such structures or the installation of adequate padding to mitigate the risk of injury.
While the family welcomes the change in regulations, they maintain that the reform came too late. The FA’s initial response included a pledge to review pitch perimeter safety across all non-league grounds to ensure player welfare is prioritised.
The new rules mean many local West Sussex clubs have had to assess their own ground safety to ensure compliance. Failure to meet the updated standards regarding solid barriers can now result in grounds being deemed unfit for competitive fixtures within the regulated tiers.
A community in mourning
Vigar’s death had a significant impact on the Chichester and Worthing sporting communities. Tributes have continued throughout the current season.
For the family, the anniversary is not just a time for remembrance but a continuation of their campaign for accountability. They have remained vocal about the need for transparent safety audits across the hundreds of grounds that make up the English football pyramid, ensuring that no other player faces similar risks from pitch-side infrastructure.
