The wall that former Arsenal striker Billy Vigar collided with before suffering a fatal injury has been demolished as part of urgent safety improvements at Wingate and Finchley’s Maurice Rebak Stadium.
Vigar, 21, died in hospital days after sustaining a serious brain injury during the Isthmian League Premier Division match against Chichester City last month.
The incident, which shocked the non-league community and prompted an outpouring of tributes from across football, has now led to swift and decisive action from the club and the Football Association.
Officials at Wingate and Finchley have confirmed that the brick perimeter wall struck by Vigar has been torn down and that a series of safety works are under way.
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According to the Daily Mail, the club has reversed all home fixtures until mid-November to allow the improvements to be completed.
Although the ground already complied with current safety regulations, the decision to demolish the wall was taken immediately after the tragedy.
The Football Association announced that it would conduct an urgent review into the safety of perimeter structures across the National League System.
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Billy Vigar suffered a fatal head injury during a game last month
| GETTYA spokesperson said the investigation would “include looking at ways we can assist clubs to identify and implement additional measures at their stadiums that they determine will help to mitigate any potential safety risks.”
Tributes to Vigar, who came through Arsenal’s academy and also represented Aldershot Town, poured in following news of his death.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta led the condolences, describing the young forward as “a talented and dedicated player who will be deeply missed.”
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Billy Vigar was remembered by Arsenal before their Champions League match with Olympiacos last month
|GETTY
In the days after the incident, a petition calling for the removal of brick walls and hard barriers surrounding non-league football pitches quickly gained more than 4,000 signatures.
The campaign has reignited long-standing concerns about player safety in lower-league and semi-professional football, where older grounds often feature structures built before modern safety standards were introduced.
The Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) also issued a statement calling for a comprehensive investigation, saying that players “should not be put at unnecessary and avoidable risk.”
This is not the first time the issue of pitch-side safety has come under scrutiny.
In November 2022, Bath City forward Alex Fletcher suffered a fractured skull after colliding with a concrete advertising hoarding during a National League South match.
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Billy Vigar joined Arsenal aged 14 | GETTY Following that incident, the government and the PFA wrote jointly to the Premier League, the FA, the EFL, and the National League in June 2023, urging all bodies to adopt a more proactive approach to ensuring player safety.
Wingate and Finchley are expected to introduce padded or retractable perimeter barriers and additional spacing between the pitch and surrounding structures.
Vigar’s death has been described by local officials as a “tragic reminder” of the risks players face even at grassroots level.
The FA’s review is expected to conclude before the end of the year, with findings likely to influence future ground-grading requirements across the non-league pyramid.