Club to donate gate receipts in striker's memory

Billy Vigar died in September after a "significant brain injury" sustained playing football

A football club will donate money raised from ticket sales to charity in memory of the footballer Billy Vigar.

Eastbourne Borough FC, Vigar's former club, will play Chichester City FC in the Sussex Senior Cup on Tuesday night.

Vigar died in September after a "significant brain injury" sustained playing for Chichester City during an away match.

Eastbourne Borough said gate receipts from Tuesday's fixture will be donated to London's Air Ambulance, which airlifted Vigar to hospital.

Eastbourne Borough chief executive Alan Williams told BBC Radio Sussex it was "a very tragic situation" but it was "important that he's not forgotten and things are done in his memory".

The fixture was originally due to be played earlier in October but was rescheduled because "everything was just too raw, especially for the guys at Chichester", according to Mr Williams.

The game kicks off at Eastbourne Borough's Priory Lane ground at 19:45 GMT.

Tributes were made to Vigar across English football, including at former club Arsenal's Champions League game against Olympiacos

Mr Williams said Vigar was "the most sincere, loving, genuine person" he had seen play football and he "can't imagine what the guys at Chichester are going through".

The striker was a graduate of the Arsenal academy and had also played for Derby County and Hastings United.

It is believed Vigar's injuries were caused when he hit a concrete wall.

The Football Association said it would carry out a safety review of perimeter walls at football grounds in the National League system.