A pre-inquest review hearing took place at Barnet Coroner's Court on Thursday about the police investigation into the death of former Arsenal academy player Billy Vigar. The Metropolitan Police investigation into Vigar's death from a significant brain injury in September 2025 remains ongoing.
Billy Vigar's Death
Billy Vigar died from a "significant brain injury" in September 2025, five days after colliding with a concrete wall surrounding a pitch while playing for Chichester City at Wingate and Finchley's stadium.
Attendees at the Hearing
Billy Vigar's parents were present for the hearing at Barnet Coroner's Court on Thursday. Representatives from the Football Association and Barnet Council were present for the hearing at Barnet Coroner's Court on Thursday. Former Bath City player Alex Fletcher, who fractured his skull when colliding with concrete barriers next to the club's pitch in 2022, was present at the hearing. PFA representative Adam White was present at the hearing.
Statements from Vigar's Parents
On the one-year anniversary of Billy Vigar's death, his parents Keith and Camilla said that "the FA could have stopped Billy losing his life because they had so many warnings".
Camilla Vigar told senior coroner Andrew Walker that she did not understand how the FA waited for Billy to die before they actioned anything when there was so much warning beforehand.
In her comments to senior coroner Andrew Walker, Camilla Vigar referred to "Ben Hiscox dying in 2015" and Alex Fletcher's accident in 2022, and said that the investigation after Alex's accident highlighted about 160 high-risk clubs and that Wingate was one of them, and that the FA "did nothing".
Keith Vigar spoke during the hearing to raise an "issue with Barnet not being an interested party" in the case.
During the hearing, Keith Vigar said he did not quite understand how the investigation carried out at the football club Wingate and Finchley, and that he saw it as a bit of a conflict of interest that Barnet as the local authority carried out that investigation, saying it feels like they are "marking their own homework".
Police Update and Next Hearing
Acting Detective Sergeant Colin Chandler from the Metropolitan Police told a pre-inquest review hearing that he anticipated he would need another "two to three months" on his investigation.
Acting Detective Sergeant Colin Chandler did not provide details on the lines of enquiry that the police are exploring.
A further hearing in the case has been scheduled for 10 February. BBC Sport is investigating incidents involving pitch perimeters at all levels of football in England and Wales. BBC Sport has asked people who have been affected by incidents involving pitch perimeters at any level of football in England and Wales to contact them.
