Former Arsenal striker Billy Vigar is in an induced coma after suffering "a significant brain injury" during a match. Vigar, 21, was playing for Chichester City against Wingate and Finchley on Saturday when he reportedly collided with a concrete wall trying to stop the ball going out of play. The Isthmian League Premier Division match was said to have been halted and an ambulance was called before it was abandoned after 13 minutes. In an update on their Instagram page on Monday night, Chichester wrote: "Billy received a significant brain injury and is currently in an induced coma in intensive care receiving the best possible treatment. "It is too early to say what the outcome will be and even if things go well, there will be a long road to recovery ahead. Love from the whole of the CCFC family Billy." Among those to react to the post wasformer Bath City striker Alex Fletcher, who was forced to retire in the summer of last year as a result of injuries suffered colliding witha concrete-backed advertising boardin November 2022. "My heart breaks reading this terrible news," wrote Fletcher, who spent almost a week in an induced coma and underwent emergency brain surgery. "Sending all the love, strength and best wishes to the Vigar family for healing in time. You've got this Billy." Vigar joined Chichester this summer, having left Arsenal a year earlier without making a senior appearance. He featured prominently for their under-18 and Premier League 2 teams and the club posted on their X account: "Wishing you a speedy recovery, Billy. Everyone at Arsenal sends love and support to Billy and his loved ones at this difficult time." Saturday's incident occurred almost three years after the Professional Footballers' Association demanded that safety rules around advertising hoardings be "fully reviewed". That followed a second player suffering a serious head injury after colliding with one less than a month after Fletcher's horror collision. Macauley Southam-Hales, the Stockport County right-back, was taken to hospital after careering into a metal support behind the goal during his side's 3-1 FA Cup second-round replay win against Charlton Athletic. Southam-Hales was left in a neck brace, with manager Dave Challinor saying he was "very, very lucky" not to have been more badly hurt. The PFA was also upset over a since-deleted video on the FA Cup's official TikTok account that poked fun at Southam-Hales's injury by setting it to music from a Nestle Crunch advert. The Football Association apologised for the post, which was created by an external agency. The following June, the PFA and sports minister Stuart Andrew wrote to all the football authorities asking them to review whether lessons could be learnt from incidents such as Fletcher's. In December 2023, Fletcher told the BBC that player safety had been "swept under the carpet" a year after he suffered his injury. "If I had lost my life, I feel like more would have been done," Fletcher told BBC Points West. The FA and PFA have been approached for comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
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