Billy Vigar: Parents say son's death could have been prevented

"You swing from sadness to anger because you just feel it could have been prevented."

The 21-year-old striker was playing for Chichester City at Wingate and Finchley FC in north London.

"[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.

They give the example of amateur footballer Ben Hiscox, who died in 2015 after colliding with a clubhouse near Bristol.

The Vigars also point to the life-changing injuries sustained by Alex Fletcher in 2022.

When asked by the BBC what was done with the information it had gathered, the FA provided no comment.

Vigar, aged 21, died after sustaining a "significant brain injury" on 25 September 2025

At the time of Vigar's accident, the FA's stadium accreditation criteria, which applies to the National League System in men's football and the Women's National League, said clubs needed to have a "permanent" barrier around the pitch "of sound construction (eg concrete and steel)".

As a result, the stadium criteria was updated last month and "no longer permits solid brick, breeze block or concrete barriers around pitches".

Where walls are structural, they must be "covered with suitable protection", such as padding.

Bromsgrove Sporting near Birmingham, which has a concrete wall surrounding its pitch, told BBC Sport the changes were "completely understandable and long overdue". It added: "We are fully supportive of this and are grateful for the 100% funding from the FA."

Sheppey United are one of the 169 clubs who have been advised to modify their stadium