The news that we really didn’t want to hear came through last Thursday afternoon that Chichester City striker Billy Vigar sadly passed away following his injury sustained the weekend prior at Wingate & Finchley FC.

Billy, who was just 21 years of age, was a Sussex lad born in Worthing which led him to signing schoolboy forms for Arsenal at 14. After a spell on loan at Derby County, he returned to the county to play under Mark Beard at Eastbourne Borough who gave him his first senior start and where he scored his first senior goal.

After a season on loan, Billy joined Hastings Utd and moved to Chichester over the summer. Only a couple of weeks ago I saw Billy in action for the first time away at Whitstable Town in the FA Cup.

All our thoughts continue to be with everyone at Oaklands Park and Billy’s family but also those connected with Wingate & Finchley whose players, staff and supporters like those of Chichester witnessed what at the time was a traumatic and horrific experience.

We appreciate there are a lot of emotions going around with regards to walls and the prevention that could already have been in place, but we believe that is a conversation for the weeks to come and not for now.

What we would like to share with everyone is a ‘Go Fund Me’page set up by Chi keeper Kieran Magee, please donate if you can and if so you can find the link here, Billy Vigar Go Fund Me.

Also, we would like to share with you an online petition that began recently to ban concrete and brick walls from football stadiums. You can find the link to add your signature here, Vigar’s Law.

RIP Billy, your legacy will live on.