Vigar's Law - Petition launched calling on football to provide safer conditions for players after avoidable risk may have contributed to youngster's tragic death

The former Arsenal youth player reportedly collided with a pitch-side wall while playing for the non-league team away at Wingate and Finchley last Saturday. The 21-year-old died on Thursday after several days in an induced coma, with his family saying they were "devastated" that this had happened while he was playing the "sport he loved".

"After sustaining a significant brain injury last Saturday, Billy Vigar was put into an induced coma," the family said. "On Tuesday, he needed an operation to aid any chances of recovery. Although this helped, the injury proved too much for him, and he passed away on Thursday morning. The responses to the original update show how much Billy was loved and thought of within the sport."

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta paid tribute to Vigar and his family and now, football fans have launched a petition to try and make sure something like this can't happen again.

Shortly after his death, a petition titled, 'Vigar's Law - Ban brick walls around football pitches' was launched, and has quickly achieved more than 7,500 signatures. Those behind the petition have called on the Football Association to remove brick walls and other hard, immovable structures around football pitches. It adds that this is not an "isolated incident". 

Part of the post reads: "We, football lovers, urgently call for the removal of brick walls and other hard, immovable structures surrounding football pitches. This petition is driven by the heartbreaking death of Billy Vigar, a young and talented footballer whose life was tragically cut short after a collision with a pitch-side brick wall.

"Billy's passing is not an isolated incident - countless players at all levels have suffered serious injuries, including broken bones, concussions, and life-altering trauma, as a result of these dangerous barriers.

"Football is meant to be a sport of passion, skill, and community - not a place where a simple fall or a mistimed run can result in permanent injury or death. Yet many pitches, especially at grassroots and community level, remain bordered by solid brick walls placed only a few feet from the touchline. These walls serve no essential sporting purpose, yet they create an undeniable and avoidable hazard."

The petition set out four key pillars and a list of demands going forward. They are: Player safety must come first, preventable tragedies, no justifiable purpose, and duty of care. 

It points out that walls can be "lethal", and collisions with them can cause broken limbs, spinal injuries, and head trauma. They "offer no benefit" that cannot be achieved by "safer alternatives" such as mesh fencing, railings, or padded barriers. 

Moreover, they have called on councils, football associations, governing bodies, and facility owners to: "Immediately assess all football pitches for the presence of brick or concrete walls within the playing vicinity. Remove or replace these walls with safer alternatives (such as mesh fencing or padded railings) within a defined timeframe. Introduce strict guidelines prohibiting the construction of new hard-surface barriers near active playing areas."

The FA says it will carry out an immediate safety review of perimeter walls at football stadiums for many non-league sides after Vigar's death. 

An FA statement said: "We will now conduct an immediate review, working with leagues, clubs, and relevant stakeholders across the game, that will focus on the safety of perimeter walls and boundaries around pitches in the National League system. This will include looking at ways we can assist National League system clubs to identify and implement additional measures at their stadiums that they determine will help to mitigate any potential safety risks."

According to the BBC, the FA's statement comes more than two years on from the government and the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) writing to the FA, the Premier League, and more, to adopt a more proactive approach to player safety in this area. That came after Bath City's Alex Fletcher suffered a fractured skull after colliding with a concrete advertising hoarding in a game in November 2022.

The petition added: "Billy Vigar’s death must be the last. We owe it to his memory - and to every player who steps onto a football pitch - to ensure that no one else suffers such a needless tragedy. Football should be a game of joy and community, not a place where preventable hazards claim young lives. Please sign and share this petition to demand immediate action and protect the safety of every player."