Former Arsenal academy player Billy Vigar, a talented young footballer, has passed away at the age of 21 after sustaining a serious brain injury in a non-league football match. Chichester City, his club at present, made the sad announcement on Thursday morning in a moment of calamity for English football.
Who is Billy Vigar?
Born in 2003 in Worthing, West Sussex, Vigar started his football career when he was at the Arsenal Youth Academy aged 14. He progressed through the youth system of the club playing both at the U18 and the U21 levels. In 2022, Vigar signed his first professional contract with Arsenal.
Though he could not break into Arsenal’s senior Premier League team, he gained good experience while on loan at Derby County’s U21s in the second half of the 2022–23 season. He also played a bit for Eastbourne Borough and Hastings United, playing at the non-league level to get exposure at the senior team level.
Also Read: Ex-Arsenal player Billy Vigar passes away at 21 after suffering brain injury during game
Vigar’s tragic death
The tragedy happened over the weekend during an Isthmian League Premier Division fixture between Chichester City and Wingate & Finchley FC. Early into the match, Vigar was said to have collided with a pitch-side wall and suffered a traumatic brain injury. He was promptly taken to the hospital, where he was put in an induced coma.
Even after he was operated on Tuesday to try and better his condition, Vigar unfortunately passed away on September 25, 2025, as per an official statement issued by the club.
Move to Chichester City
During the summer of 2025, Vigar signed for Chichester City, a team playing in the seventh tier of English football. With his strength, pace, and attacking drive, Arsenal had previously described him as a “powerful and determined forward.”
