Billy tragically passed away after sustaining a severe brain injury during a match while playing for Chichester City. He reportedly collided with a wall at the side of the pitch and was airlifted to hospital, where he was placed in an induced coma. Despite undergoing surgery, he sadly died on Thursday, 25 September.
Luke Griggs, Chief Executive of brain injury charity Headway UK, said: “We are deeply saddened to hear of this tragic loss of life.
“This will undoubtedly be an incredibly painful time for his family and teammates, indeed all those connected with Chichester City and the other clubs Billy has represented in his footballing career.
“This is a moment that will unite the football world, all fans and those in the game will no doubt register the shock of a player dying as a result of a collision with a concrete wall at the side of a football pitch.
“This is the second such incident in the last few years, with Alex Fletcher of Bath City experiencing career-ending injuries through a similar incident.
“This tragedy has to be the catalyst for further discussions about what can be done to mitigate against the risk of this kind of head injury.
“Lower league football or rugby clubs with small, traditional grounds cannot be expected to rebuild their stadiums overnight, but there must be more accessible, affordable ways to mitigate the risk of this kind of injury.
“It will take collaboration between the PFA, FA, local authorities and sponsors to make it happen – but happen it must.”
