Former Arsenal academy forward Billy Vigar has died at the age of 21 after suffering a serious brain injury while playing for Chichester City.
The news was confirmed on Thursday evening, prompting tributes from Arsenal and the wider football community for a player remembered as much for his character as his talent.
Vigar joined Arsenal from Hove Rivervale at 14 and quickly made an impression at Hale End, scoring 17 goals in his first season before earning a scholarship in 2020. He signed professional terms in 2022, having shown both his resilience and quality after overcoming a major hamstring injury as a scholar.
A regular at under-18 level, Vigar trained with the first team as a teenager and appeared in both Premier League 2 and the EFL Trophy. His adaptability was such that he was trusted to play across the forward line and even filled in at the back when required.
Loan spells at Derby County and Eastbourne Borough gave him senior experience before he left Arsenal in 2024 for Hastings United and moved to Chichester City this summer.
In their statement, Arsenal said: “Everyone at Arsenal Football Club is deeply sorry to hear of the tragic passing of Chichester City forward and former Arsenal academy player, Billy Vigar… As well as his significant talent, Billy will always be remembered for his love of the game, pride at representing our football club – he once called the day he was spotted by our scouts as ‘the most important of his life’ – and a character beloved by teammates and coaches alike.”
Asked about Bully’s passing at his pre-Newcastle press conference, Mikel Arteta said, “Some shocking news, when I got home yesterday, obviously. Straight away I was thinking about the family and how difficult it is to go through something like this in a very unexpected way. Hopefully they will dig in and understand what happened, why it happened and try to avoid these kinds of things. Really sad news and our full support with the family and our thoughts with all the loved ones.”
Along with Chichester City, Arsenal and the rest of the footballing community, we extend our deepest condolences to the Vigar family.