The mother of former Arsenal academy star Billy Vigar has claimed the FA did 'nothing' to prevent her son's death despite the warning signs.

Vigar died aged 21 in September last year after suffering a 'significant brain injury' during a match, plunging the football world into mourning.

He was placed in an induced coma after suffering the horrific injury in a match at Wingate and Finchley in the Isthmian League Premier Division. He had collided with a concrete wall while trying to keep the ball in play.

'(Billy) had his whole life ahead of him,' Camilla Vigar said on BBC Sport. 'He was 21 years old and he lost it playing football when he didn't need to.

'I personally feel that the FA could have stopped Billy losing his life because they had so many warnings.'

The FA conducted reviews with clubs after a similar incident happened in 2022, which resulted in Alex Fletcher fracturing his skull after colliding with concrete barriers at Bath City's ground. They provided no comment when approached.

That, though, says Camilla, changed nothing.

She added: 'As far as I'm aware, nothing was done with that information and it just sat there.

'One of the clubs as far as I'm aware that was highlighted as being one of the high-risk clubs was Wingate, where Billy then lost his life.'

The FA is understood to have undergone a safety review after Vigar's death, which involved 900 clubs being investigated.

More than 150 clubs in the men's National League system and women's National League were told they needed to make changes 'as soon as is reasonably practicable'.

Structural walls must now be 'covered with suitable protection', such as padding.

The FA said at the time: 'This important work is under way, and we will continue to fully support the clubs involved.'

Vigar was a product of Arsenal's Hale End academy, having initially joined on schoolboy terms aged 14. He signed scholarship terms in 2020, a professional contract in 2022, and was part of their under-21s set-up until last year. In 2024 he joined Hastings United and over the summer he joined non-league Step 3 side Chichester.

A statement from his family read: 'After sustaining a significant brain injury last Saturday, Billy Vigar was put in an induced coma.

'On Tuesday he needed an operation to aid any chances of recovery. Although this helped, the injury proved too much for him and he passed away on Thursday morning.

'The responses to the original update show how much Billy was thought of and loved within the sport.

'His family are devastated that this has happened whilst he was playing the sport that he loved.'