Coroner hears Met needs more time in Billy Vigar investigation
A pre-inquest review at Barnet Coroner's Court heard the police investigation into Billy Vigar's death will take another two to three months, as his parents questioned the FA's response to earlier warnings.
The police investigation into the death of former Arsenal academy player Billy Vigar remains open and is expected to need a further "two to three months", a pre-inquest review at Barnet Coroner's Court has heard. Det Supt Colin Chandler of the Metropolitan Police gave that estimate but did not disclose which lines of enquiry officers are pursuing. BBC Sport said it had contacted the Met for comment.
Vigar died in September 2025 from a "significant brain injury", five days after he collided with a concrete wall surrounding the pitch while playing for Chichester City at Wingate and Finchley's stadium. A further hearing has been scheduled for 10 February.
Vigar's parents, Keith and Camilla, attended Thursday's hearing, along with representatives of the Football Association and Barnet Council. Also present were former Bath City player Alex Fletcher, who fractured his skull in a collision with concrete barriers beside his club's pitch in 2022, and another representative from the PFA.
Camilla Vigar questioned why the FA acted only after her son's death, citing earlier fatalities and accidents, including Ben Hiscox's death in 2015 and Fletcher's 2022 injury. She said an investigation after Fletcher's accident identified about 160 high-risk clubs, including Wingate, and that nothing was done. Her remarks are the family's account and criticism, not findings established by the court.
Keith Vigar raised a procedural concern, arguing that Barnet Council should not be treated as an interested party because it carried out the investigation at Wingate and Finchley. He described the arrangement as a potential conflict of interest, saying it felt like the council was marking its own homework. These are the family's opinions; the coroner has not ruled on them.
Image: Getty Images / BBC Sport
