Billy Vigar: A year on, the grief is still there – and so is the anger

It was a day of intense sorrow and grief, and also one when anger started to come out too.

It was the day 21-year-old Billy died in hospital in London, five days after sustaining a terrible head injury in a collsion with a concrete perimeter wall in Chichester City’s Isthmian League match at Wingate and Finchley.

Immediately, among the heartfetl tributes from those who knew and loved Billy, and from right across the football community, there was a call for action. Why had Billy died of injuries sustained from colliding with a wall close to a football pitch, and how could we make sure it never happened again?

Since then, many such walls have been removed or covered – including the one at Wingate – and the FA eventually issued new rules banning any new ones bring put up around pitches at non-league grounds across the country, ruling that existing ones must be removed or adequately covered.

It’s progress, and it may – should, in fact – mean that no footballer suffers the same fate that Billy did on that terrible day in North London last September.

But it does not bring Billy back – and there are many who feel that had such surroundings been banned after previous incidents in which serious injuries had been sustained, then Billy would still be here now, playing the game he loved. And that is why the anger – alongside the sadness – is still there a year after his death.

His parents Keith and Camilla have spoken of their dismay about nothing, or at least not enough, being done after previous incidents, notably a fractured skull suffered by Alex Fletcher in a match at Bath City in 2022.

In an interview with the BBC, Camilla said: “[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. I personally feel that the FA could have stopped Billy losing his life because they had so many warnings.”

In the interview they spoke of how the sadness can turn to anger because they feel their son’s death was preventable.

Many in football – from players to fans – feel the same way.

It was just hours after Billy’s death was announced that an online petition was started demanding action was taken to get rid of pitch walls, and it gained huge support in the days and weeks that followed.

Many of those who signed it probably feel as strongly now as they did then – knowing that whatever happens to improve safety now does not turn back the clock.

The FA have not commented specifically on the claim that more could have been done sooner but have said: "This important work is under way, and we will continue to fully support the clubs involved."

In a way it is hard to believe it is a year since Billy’s death. To many it seems like yesterday, in the sense that it is all so vivid, all so raw.

I wrote a piece a couple days after he died in which I said I just kept on thinking about the day the collision happened. While making the point that I did not know Billy personally, nor – to my regret – had I even seen him play in person, I tried to get across that it even felt personal to me, because I had a close connection to Chichester City and because a player dying of an injury sustained playing in game was just not something that happened. It wasn’t something that happened – but then it did happen.

I think football fans everywhere felt the same. It shocked us all.

Chichester City’s role in keeping Billy’s name in the public eye since and ensuring he is never forgotten by the football family cannot be under-estimated. They have acted with great dignity throughout a 12-month period when their players, officials and fans have been trying to come to terms with Billy’s death.

There have been tributes at every game they have played since – whether it’s minute’s applauses, fans with banners remembering ‘BV9’ or players wearing new shirts with a tribute to Billy embroidered into it – and at the end of last season Billy and his legacy was at centre of the club’s end-of-season presentation night.

Billy’s family have been to many City games – including their home match with Chertsey earlier this week when the first anniversary of his death was poignantly marked – and City’s management have said the family have been a huge help in the club and their players dealing with what happened.

On this first anniversary of him passing away, Chi City posted: “Today, we mark the one year anniversary of the tragic passing of Billy Vigar. Firstly, our thoughts are with Billy’s family, friends and all that loved him. The whole Chichester City Football Club family has been devastated by the past year.

"We have been led and inspired by the loved ones of Billy. They have become part of us. The manner that we all have supported each other throughout the past year has been a testament to human nature. This has been enforced by the goodwill of the wider football community and beyond. For that we thank you.

"It is now the responsibility of our football family to continue to remember and honour Billy. We also have to ensure this can’t happen again. Please join us in remembering Billy today and every day.”

Chi City coach Darin Killpartrick has been a key figure in making sure Billy is at the centre of so much the club do now. He has written two poems paying tribute to the young striker that he and his fellow coaches were so excited to work with.

One was read out ahead of a minute’s applause for Billy at Chi’s match against Chertsey last Tuesday – the match that came a year to the week since Billy was injured and died.

Killpartrick told us the first anniversary had been tough for everyone who knew Billy – just as the whole of the past year had. But he promised that the club would continue to remember BV9 and ensure that in football circles, he would never be forgotten.

As for the new regulations about pitch surroundings, it was on the eve of this season that the FA publicised new regulations about walls around pitches. It felt like it had taken them a long time to reach that point – and it also felt odd that in issuing the statement about the changes, there was no mention of the incident in which Billy was injured.

The FA said on August 7: “We have undertaken a review of pitch perimeter walls across the National League System and Women’s National League to identify what improvements can be made to our Stadium Accreditation Criteria that will help clubs mitigate potential safety risks at their grounds and stadiums. As a result of this ongoing phased review, which has been conducted by independent Health and Safety experts, we have updated our Stadium Accreditation Criteria for the 2026/27 season.

"This includes introducing revised criteria relating to pitch perimeter barriers, which no longer permits solid brick, breeze block or concrete barriers around pitches across the National League System for men [Steps 1-6], and the Women's National League [Tiers 3-4]. Any existing solid brick, breeze block or concrete barriers must be removed as soon as reasonably practicable, or covered with suitable protection if they cannot be removed for structural reasons. We have informed the clubs at this level that will be required to take action as a result of these changes.

"Matches may continue to be played at affected grounds during this period; however, clubs should assess the safety of their pitch perimeter barriers on an ongoing basis, and where alterations to these structures have been recommended during this review, they should develop a plan to complete any such alterations within a reasonable timeframe.

"To support this important work, The FA and the Premier League will provide funding to facilitate these changes, which will be administered by the Premier League Stadium Fund. The initial phase of the programme is already underway, and we will continue to provide full support to the clubs involved in this process.”

One year on, for everyone who knew Billy, and many who didn’t, that sorrow and grief is still there. And so is the anger. And it is unlikely to dim any time soon.