Police investigation into Vigar's death ongoing

What the report says

A police inquiry into the death of former Arsenal academy player Billy Vigar is still under way, with a coroner’s court hearing told that investigators expect they will need another two to three months before it is finished. Vigar died in September 2025, five days after suffering a significant brain injury when he collided with a concrete wall around the pitch while playing for Chichester City at Wingate and Finchley’s stadium.

The latest pre-inquest review took place at Barnet Coroner’s Court, where Vigar’s parents, Keith and Camilla, attended alongside representatives from the Football Association, Barnet Council and the Professional Footballers’ Association. Det Supt Colin Chandler of the Metropolitan Police said the investigation remained ongoing, but did not describe the specific lines of inquiry being pursued. A further hearing has now been set for 10 February.

Vigar’s family used the hearing to renew concerns that football authorities should have acted earlier over pitch safety. They pointed to previous serious incidents involving concrete barriers and said warnings had already been identified in earlier reviews of high-risk clubs. In the wider context of English football, the case has raised ongoing questions about ground safety, perimeter barriers and how recommendations are followed up across the game.