A plea has been made to the FA with an update given on footballer Billy Vigar placed in an induced coma after suffering a head injury.
Former Arsenal U21 striker, now 21, suffered a severe head injury 13 minutes into the Isthmian League Premier Division match for Chichester City against Wingate and Finchley.
The incident occurred when Vigar collided with a concrete wall while trying to keep the ball in play, causing his forehead to strike the wall after slipping on a wet surface. Emergency services quickly intervened, and the match was halted.
CHICHESTER CITY FOOTBALL CLUB STATEMENT.
Chichester City Football Club can confirm that on Saturday September 20th one of our players sustained a serious injury in our match at Wingate & Finchley.
At this stage the club will be making no further comment.
— Chichester City FC (@ChiCityFC) September 21, 2025
UPDATE ON BILLY VIGAR
Billy received a significant brain injury and is currently in an induced coma in intensive care receiving the best possible treatment. It is too early to say what the outcome will be and even if things go well,there will be a long road to recovery
— Chichester City FC (@ChiCityFC) September 22, 2025
Everyone at Wingate & Finchley continues to keep Billy, his loved ones and all at Chichester City in our thoughts. Wishing him strength on the fight to recovery. https://t.co/bJqKM6LESp
— Wingate & Finchley FC (@WinFinchleyFC) September 22, 2025
On the 21st of September, a club statement read: “Chichester City Football Club can confirm that on Saturday September 20th one of our players sustained a serious injury in our match at Wingate & Finchley. At this stage the club will be making no further comment.”
The following day, they said: “Billy received a significant brain injury and is currently in an induced coma in intensive care receiving the best possible treatment. It is too early to say what the outcome will be and even if things go well, there will be a long road to recovery. Love from the whole CCFC family Billy 🤍🖤”
Wingate & Finchley said: “Wingate & Finchley Football Club can confirm that during our match against Chichester City on Saturday September 20th, a visiting player sustained a serious injury. Our thoughts are with the player, and everyone at Chichester City FC. At this stage, the club will be making no further comment.
“Everyone at Wingate & Finchley continues to keep Billy, his loved ones and all at Chichester City in our thoughts. Wishing him strength on the fight to recovery.”
Credit – @n_a_iwanicki
It comes a few years on after we saw Alex Fletcher also suffered a near fatal head injury. Lats season, he released an an emotional video, retiring from football aged 25.
The former Bath City striker has announced his retirement from playing football, less than two years after the ex-Plymouth Argyle youth product collided with concrete barriers at Twerton Park mid game in November 2022.
Fletcher had major surgery to remove part of his skull recovery, and was unable to play football having spent 10 months of recovery before returning to the pitch in August 2023, signed for Weston-super-Mare back in November 2023, but the Southern League outfit announced in July 2024 that the striker had decided to retire.
Alex Fletcher, who suffered near fatal head injury, releases emotional video as he retires aged 25
As mentioned, a plea is made to the FA with an update given on Billy Vigar in an induced coma after suffering a severe head injury…
@RednBlue_exile: It may be the time for @FA to act and ban concrete/brick walls surrounding the pitches at non league level. A Chichester City player suffered a horrible head injury after colliding with a pitch side wall at Wingate & Finchley today, necessitating an air ambulance.
@ColinPep1: Agreed. A rule should have been implemented after the Bath injury a couple of years ago
@jamieltfc: 100%, absolutely no need to have it. Completely outdated and just outright dangerous
@Archie111111111: THIS is exactly why concrete walls need to be banned from football, thought they would have learnt from the Alex Fletcher accident.
@harvey_bradbury: Praying Billy is okay! What is it going to take for the FA to ban brick walls around the pitch?! Thoughts and prayers are with Billy and his family ❤️
@JaredPrescott6: Think this should really be a sign for Wingate now. Brick wall collapsing under Dulwich fans. And now a player suffering a brain injury because of the brick wall. Something really needs the change at that ground. My thoughts are with Billy and his family.
@M_Woff16: Having at my club been through a similar horrendous experience with Alex Fletcher a couple of seasons back, I’m sure the thoughts of everyone at @BathCity_FC and the wider football world are thinking of Billy, his family and everyone @ChiCityFC at this time. 🙏
@paulswainAFC78: Apparently collided with a concrete wall around the pitch, how the fuck has this been allowed to happen again after a similar incident with, I think, a Bath player a couple of years ago. Fingers crossed for a full recovery Billy 🙏🏻
@CoreOfNufc: At what point does the FA step in and do something about brick walls around pitches? Yet again another serious injury.
@squeezefootball: just fucking horrendous. time for a conversation about brick walls surrounding football pitches?
@DarranPearce: This is awful and hopefully he can pull through, but the FA have to act after this and make sure there are no more brick walls at any football ground. This is an accident which should never have been possible to have happened.
@Jackalbion96: Awful incident and all the best for all concerned. The FA HAS to start looking into concrete walls around pitches. This and the incident at Bath a few years ago, is two too many
@Richbmtfc: Totally agree, same happened to lad at Bath a few years back.. Hope the guy pulls through 🙏
🚨 Former Arsenal academy striker, Billy Vigar is in an induced coma after sustaining a ‘significant brain injury’ while playing for Chichester City vs Wingate & Finchley on Saturday.
Wishing you all the best, Billy. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/ICp3Vq34jz
— DailyAFC (@DailyAFC) September 23, 2025
My thoughts go out to Billy 🖤🤍
I used to be in a class with Alex Fletcher, who suffered a similar injury at Bath City.
Need to see changes; mandatory requirement for clubs to replace stone walls and replace them with a suitable alternative. https://t.co/dwwjTKYeuB
— Off The Line Blog (@OffTheLineBlog) September 22, 2025
