Wingate & Finchley Grounds Alterations Follow Tragic Incident
A concrete wall, which has been removed from the Maurice Rebak Stadium pitch perimeter following a fatal incident involving Chichester City forward Billy Vigar. The 21-year-old suffered significant head injuries after running into the wall during an Isthmian Premier League match against Lewes last month.
Eight weeks have passed since the tragic event, and the club has taken concrete steps to ensure player safety. The offending perimeter wall has been replaced with rebound mesh fencing commonly used in sports pitches nationwide. Players now have extra run-off space on the touchline.
Vigar's death led to widespread grief across the sport, prompting an immediate review by the Football Association focusing on stadium boundary and pitch safety.
A fundraiser for Vigar's family has raised over £18,000. The incident also affected Wingate & Finchley players' performances, as they went unbeaten in their next seven league games despite being away from home.
In Saturday's match against Lewes, Wingate & Finchley extended their winning streak to nine consecutive matches. According to vice-chair Joe Sharpe, the club will not take safety lightly and is focused on preserving Vigar's legacy.
A concrete wall, which has been removed from the Maurice Rebak Stadium pitch perimeter following a fatal incident involving Chichester City forward Billy Vigar. The 21-year-old suffered significant head injuries after running into the wall during an Isthmian Premier League match against Lewes last month.
Eight weeks have passed since the tragic event, and the club has taken concrete steps to ensure player safety. The offending perimeter wall has been replaced with rebound mesh fencing commonly used in sports pitches nationwide. Players now have extra run-off space on the touchline.
Vigar's death led to widespread grief across the sport, prompting an immediate review by the Football Association focusing on stadium boundary and pitch safety.
A fundraiser for Vigar's family has raised over £18,000. The incident also affected Wingate & Finchley players' performances, as they went unbeaten in their next seven league games despite being away from home.
In Saturday's match against Lewes, Wingate & Finchley extended their winning streak to nine consecutive matches. According to vice-chair Joe Sharpe, the club will not take safety lightly and is focused on preserving Vigar's legacy.
it's crazy how one incident changed everything... 18k for vigar's family is actually pretty decent, but u gotta feel bad for the team tho, they were already on a hot streak and now they're worried about player safety all the time 
anyway, i guess it's good to see them taking things seriously & trying to honor vigar's memory... 9 consecutive wins without him is crazy 
. I mean, no one should have to go through that kind of trauma. The fact that they're taking steps to make sure something like this never happens again is a big plus 
. Those rebound mesh fences are supposed to be the norm now, but it's still not good enough for me - we need to do more 
. It's great to see the community coming together to support Billy's family too 
. The players' performance didn't return immediately after... I think they were all still reeling from what happened 
. At least Wingate & Finchley are keeping Vigar's memory alive by focusing on safety and doing well on the pitch 
. Fingers crossed for a better future in football 
.
It's just crazy that something so preventable happened in the first place.
. Nine consecutive wins without Vigar on the pitch is just amazing, but you can tell how much it means to the team and the fans.
. £18,000 is a huge amount, and I hope it helps them in some way. The whole football community coming together like this is just incredible 
.
wingate & finchley is doing the right thing by making those changes 
rebound mesh fencing and extra run-off space are big wins 
can't say enough about how much money that fundraiser raised for his family 
it's gonna take some time to heal but i'm glad they're keeping vigar's memory alive 
they're not gonna let billys memory die like that