Billy Vigar death investigation needs another two to three months, court hears

The police investigation into the death of former Arsenal academy footballer Billy Vigar remains ongoing, with a detective telling a coroner's court that he expected to need another two to three months. BBC Sport reported that the update came at a pre-inquest review at Barnet Coroner's Court on Thursday, attended by Vigar's parents and representatives of football and local government.

Vigar died in September 2025, five days after he struck a concrete wall around the pitch at Wingate and Finchley's stadium while playing for Chichester City. The BBC described the injury that caused his death as a significant brain injury. His parents, Keith and Camilla, have questioned whether football authorities could have prevented the fatal incident by acting on earlier warnings about pitch barriers.

Detective Superintendent Colin Chandler of the Metropolitan Police gave the estimated timescale for the continuing investigation. He did not disclose which lines of enquiry officers were pursuing, according to the BBC, which said it had contacted the force for comment. The two-to-three-month period was therefore an estimate of the time still required, rather than an announcement that the investigation had reached a conclusion.

Addressing senior coroner Andrew Walker, Camilla Vigar criticised the Football Association's response to previous incidents. She referred to Ben Hiscox's death in 2015 and Alex Fletcher's serious injury in 2022. She also told the hearing that an investigation after Fletcher's accident had identified about 160 high-risk clubs, including Wingate. These were concerns and allegations presented by Vigar's mother, not findings announced by the coroner.

Keith Vigar separately questioned Barnet Council's position in the proceedings, raising its absence as an interested party. He expressed concern about the local authority having conducted an investigation at Wingate and Finchley and suggested that this represented a conflict of interest. Representatives of both the council and the FA were present at Thursday's hearing, the BBC reported.

Fletcher, the former Bath City player who fractured his skull after colliding with concrete pitchside barriers in 2022, also attended, alongside another representative from the Professional Footballers' Association. A further hearing has been scheduled for 10 February, while the police inquiry continues.