After Billy Vigar’s death, the manager of Chichester City FC said he had thought about leaving the game altogether.
Miles Rutherford described the past few weeks as “heart-breaking,” in a statement before the club’s FA Trophy game against Surrey’s Farnham Town on Saturday, their first since the tragedy.
Vigar, age 21, died last month after spending several days in an “significant brain injury” during a game away from Wingate &, Finchley FC.
He attributed Vigar’s family’s success in “making everyone come together” and persevere as a team.
He said, “Billy’s family and doing right by them is what’s most important to all of us right now.”
The West Sussex club, which had earlier called off its previous game against Lewes following the incident, had invited Vigar’s fans and relatives to “join in with paying tribute to him” at Saturday’s game, Mr. Rutherford continued.
Before kick-off, the late player received a minute’s worth of applause, and his number nine shirt was displayed on the field.
One of the nicest people I’ve met in the sport, Mr. Rutherford said, “He was a quiet lad.”
Billy’s family informed me that he was loving life and playing football when he was just emerging from his shell.
It’s all so unfair, they say.
After receiving full accreditation from the relevant sanctioning bodies, Wingate &, Finchley FC stated in a statement on its website last week that it “will install rubber safety padding in the ground.”
After graduating from the Arsenal academy in 2024, Vigar also spent time at Derby County, Eastbourne Borough, and Hastings United.
Source: BBC
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