A team-mate of ex-Arsenal academy star Billy Vigar, who died from fatal injuries sustained in a match last weekend, said he and his club have been left ‘traumatised’ by the horror accident.
Chichester City goalkeeper Kieran Magee, 30, was on the pitch when the striker suffered a ‘significant brain injury’ after crashing into a concrete wall while playing at Wingate and Finchley in the Isthmian League Premier Division on Saturday last week.
The 21-year-old was placed in a coma and had surgery in a bid to save his life on Tuesday, but ‘the injury proved too much for him’, his devastated family said.
Chichester City have now created a GoFundMe campaign to help raise money to support Vigar’s grief-stricken family and create ‘a lasting legacy that extends far beyond football’.
The tragedy happened when Vigar tried to prevent the ball crossing the goal-line after 13 minutes. Multiple ambulance and an air ambulance arrived with the match abandoned.
The FA confirmed they will immediately review the safety of perimeter walls and boundaries at non-League stadiums.
Chichester City’s Billy Vigar tragically died this week after colliding with a concrete hoarding at Wingate and Finchley FC
Vigar was a product of the Arsenal youth academy and had been at the club until as recently as last year
Chichester City goalkeeper Kieran Magee described the incident as a ‘freak accident’
Magee told Daily Mail Sport: ‘It’s still very raw as to what we saw. An absolute freak accident, he’s collided with the concrete wall around the perimeter of the pitch.
‘It was past the goal-line so at the end of the pitch. For the whole team that were playing at the time, not just us but the Wingate and Finchley players as well, it’s a traumatic memory for us.
‘There were a few guys that stayed with him, and the physios from both clubs. There were a couple members of the crowd who were medically trained and came over, too. The paramedics turned up extremely quickly and took over from there.
‘We were with him until we couldn’t be. We knew it was serious very quickly.
‘It’s going to be at the forefront of everyone’s mind for a long, long time going forward.’
Vigar joined Chichester City during pre-season over the summer and made an immediate impact on his team-mates through his ‘humble’ nature.
‘The kind of character he was, it felt like he had been here forever,’ said Magee.
‘His old team-mates feel exactly the same wherever he has been before. He was a really humble young lad. He’s had a lot of knockbacks in his career, he was really coming out of his shell and bonding with everyone. He was the most kind, normal bloke you could meet. He was just enjoying his football.
Fans left tributes to the Vigar outside the ground of Wingate and Finchley
A mural of the youngster has been painted near The Emirates in north London
‘He was a full-blooded player. He gave everything to every ball, never stopped running. You could see he was enjoying it.’
On the campaign, he added: ‘It’s the players and Chichester who are doing this. It’s all of us together.
‘It’s to prolong his memory as long as we can. The intention is to put it towards helping them (the family) through any costs, to help them out in any way in this time of need.’
The GoFundMe campaign statement read: ‘Please give what you can and show the strength of the football community when we come together for one of our own.
‘Rest in peace, Billy. You will never be forgotten.’
