Billy

A NON-LEAGUE club has demolished the wall that was struck by former Arsenal star Billy Vigar leading to his tragic death.

The Chichester City ace collided with the pitchside barrier during the Isthmian Premier Division game at Wingate and Finchley last month.

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Vigar, 21, was placed into an induced coma following the accident after he hit his head against the wall.

The game was suspended just 15 minutes in and was abandoned completely after he had been airlifted to hospital.

He had suffered a serious brain injury, and an operation was unable to save his life.

He sadly died just days later on September 25.

Following the tragedy, the FA insisted that it would carry out a safety review of perimeter walls in the National League.

But officials at Wingate and Finchley have already made steps to increase safety around the pitch at the Maurice Rebak Stadium.

The Daily Mail has reported that work has been commissioned to make improvements.

The ground did comply with current regulations, but the club has now demolished the wall completely.

It follows on from a petition calling on brick walls around pitches to be banned reached over 4,000 signatures.

On the immediate review, a FA spokesperson said: “[It woudl] include looking at ways we can assist National League system clubs to identify and implement additional measures at their stadiums that they determine will help to mitigate any potential safety risks.”

Meanwhile, the PFA called for an investigation and demanded that players should “not be put at unnecessary and avoidable risk”.

Vigar, from Worthing, West Sussex, spent his youth career with Arsenal after joining at age 14 and signed a professional contract in July 2022.

He worked his way up to the U21 team in North London, alongside loan spells with Derby County U21 and Eastbourne.

He left the club permanently in 2024 after being unable to progress to the senior team, joining Hastings United in the Non-League Premier before his move to Chichester.

Full statement from Arsenal

Everyone at Arsenal Football Club is deeply sorry to hear of the tragic passing of Chichester City forward and former Arsenal academy player, Billy Vigar.

Billy joined our academy on schoolboy terms aged 14, after being scouted at his hometown club Hove Rivervale FC and excelled as a striker at Hale End, scoring 17 goals in his debut season.

In 2020, his performances earned him a scholarship and joined us full-time for the 2020/21 season, his intake including current players Charles Sagoe Jr, Remy Mitchell and others such as Omari Hutchinson, Charlie Patino and Brook Norton-Cuffy.

Quick, powerful and fiercely determined, his first season as a scholar was blighted by a serious hamstring injury, but he made up for it in his second, scoring four goals in 18 under-18 appearances and signed professional terms for the club at the end of that 2021/22 season.

Billy went on to appear for us in the PL2 and EFL Trophy and proved to be an asset across the forward positions and even deputised in defence – his versatility illustrating his commitment to the coaching staff and his team.

He enjoyed loan spells at Derby County and Eastbourne Borough and at the end of the 2023/24 season,  headed back to his native south coast, signing for Hastings United – prior to a move to Chichester just last month.

As well as his significant talent, Billy will always be remembered for his love of the game, pride at representing our football club – he once called the day he was spotted by our scouts as ’the most Important of his life’ – and a character beloved by teammates and coaches alike.

Our deepest condolences go out to the Vigar family and his many friends at this extremely difficult time.

When Kostas Tsimikas swept in Greece’s goal on 62 minutes, it followed a passage of play that involved Greece making 54 almost unchallenged passes over three minutes during which Andy Robertson’s glancing header to clear a cross was the only Scottish touch.

It typified the passiveness of the first hour.

“I wonder whether Steve will look at bringing Billy Gilmour on,” McCann had already said at the break.

“I don’t think it’s worked with Ryan [Christie] and Lewis [Ferguson] playing really narrow and deep, because they’ve not got on it. We’ve not been able to build the game going through.”

Gilmour did not come on and suddenly grab the game by the scruff of the neck and change things on his own, but nonetheless his influence was there after Christie’s equaliser.

His first real opportunity to get his head up and pass was on 69 minutes and he fired it through a tight space to Ferguson, whose first-time pass round the corner just evaded Che Adams as Scotland sprung forward quickly.

Gilmour’s clever free-kick also teed up Adams for a good chance at 1-1 and he ended up with five passes into the final third during his half hour on the pitch.

Only Robertson and Ferguson had more – and they played nearly the full game.

“I think Billy Gilmour coming on was pivotal in terms of us getting hold of the ball,” McCann said at full-time on BBC Scotland’s Sportscene.

“He was instrumental in the cross-field pass which Tsimikas takes out Ferguson when he eventually scores.”

As McCann described, Gilmour’s prints were on the build-up to the second goal as his positioning allowed Grant Hanley to find a pass to him between two Greece players.

He turned and moved it forward to Christie, got it back, moved the ball to Robertson, before executing the crucial pass once McTominay returned it to him.

Tsimikas fouled Ferguson and the Bologna man did brilliantly to take his chance in the box from the free-kick as Scotland hit the front.

Oct. 6 (UPI) — On this date in history:

In 1853, Antioch College opened in Yellow Springs, Ohio, as the first non-sectarian school to offer equal opportunity for both men and women.

In 1889, Thomas Edison debuts his first motion picture.

In 1908, Austria-Hungary annexes Bosnia-Herzegovina, dual provinces in Europe’s Balkan region which were formerly under the control of the Ottoman Empire, sparking a crisis.

In 1927, The Jazz Singer starring Al Jolson, Hollywood’s legendary “first talkie,” premiered in New York, ushering in the era of sound and a subsequent end of the silents.

In 1945, the Curse of the Billy Goat was placed on the Chicago Cubs when Billy Sianis and his pet billy goat were ejected from Wrigley Field during Game 4 of the World Series because his pet goat’s strong odor. The curse ended in 2016, when the Cubs won the World Series.

File Photo by Kamil Krzaczynski/UPI

In 1973, Egypt and Syria, attempting to win back territory lost during the third Arab-Israeli war, launched a coordinated attack against Israel on Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. This conflict, which would last 19 days, would become known as the Yom Kippur War.

In 1979, Pope John Paul II becomes the first pontiff to visit the White House.

In 1981, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat was assassinated as he reviewed a military parade in Cairo.

In 1991, Elizabeth Taylor walked down the aisle for the eighth time when she married Larry Fortensky. Though she had eight weddings, the actor had seven grooms; she married Richard Burton twice.

In 2001, Cal Ripken Jr. retired after a baseball career with the Baltimore Orioles that included playing in a record 2,632 consecutive games.

File Photo by Chris Corder/UPI

In 2004, a U.S. weapons inspector said Iraq began destroying its illicit weapons in 1991 and had none by 1996, seven years before the United States invaded. A report determined that 12 years of international sanctions had succeeded in disarming the country of weapons of mass destruction.

In 2017, the tropical storm that would later increase in intensity to Hurricane Nate entered the Gulf of Honduras. The storm made landfall in two days later in Louisiana and resulted in nearly 50 deaths in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and the United States.

In 2017, the Nobel Committee awarded its annual Peace Prize to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.

In 2018, Brett Kavanaugh took the oath of office to become a justice on the Supreme Court after a contentious confirmation process in which he was accused of sexual misconduct.

In 2021, the World Health Organization recommended the wide rollout of the world’s first malaria vaccine for children after a two-year pilot program showed promising results.

In 2023, Simone Biles won her sixth all-around world championship title in Antwerp, Belgium. The win made her the most decorated gymnast in history.

File Photo by Olivier Matthys/EPA-EFE

The death of ex-Arsenal youth player Billy Vigar was “entirely preventable”, says former Bath City striker Alex Fletcher.

Vigar, 21, died on Thursday after sustaining a “significant brain injury” while playing for Chichester City the previous Saturday.

It is thought the injury was caused when he collided with a concrete wall, but the club has not confirmed this.

Fletcher retired from football at the age of 25 after crashing into concrete advertising hoardings during a National League South game for Bath City.

The now 26-year-old was placed in a coma after emergency surgery and did not play for 10 months. He has since taken a role in the brain health department within the Professional Footballers’ Association to advocate for enhanced player safety in football grounds.

“This was an entirely preventable situation,” Fletcher told BBC Breakfast.

“It brought a lot of emotions flooding back for me but my overriding emotion was frustration that the calls for change haven’t been listened to by the FA.

“I’m afraid this will not be the last [death] if action isn’t taken.”

The Football Association said it will carry out an immediate safety review of perimeter walls at football grounds in the National League system following Vigar’s death.

“This will include looking at ways we can assist National League system clubs to identify and implement additional measures at their stadiums that they determine will help to mitigate any potential safety risks,” its statement said.

However, Fletcher said there must be urgent action.

“I think it’s too little, too late,” said Fletcher.

“I think if you asked Billy’s family they would say, is it going to bring their son back?

“It’s something that needs to happen urgently because there are hundreds of football matches being played across the country at all levels where this kind of incident could occur again.

“It’s billed as a freak accident [but] it’s an accident waiting to happen, quite frankly.”

The FA has been contacted for comment.

The Kit Kat Club is closing its Broadway doors early on Sept. 21, as current “Emcee” Billy Porter battles a “serious case of sepsis,” according to the production team.

“It is with a heavy heart that we have made the painful decision to end our Broadway run,” said producer Adam Speers in a statement. “On behalf of all the producers, we’re so honored to have been able to bring this version of John Kander, Fred Ebb, and Joe Masteroff’s important masterpiece, ‘Cabaret,’ to New York and to have opened the doors to our own Kit Kat Club for the year and a half we have been here.”

“Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club” — as this revival is titled — opened on Broadway in April 2024, with Eddie Redmayne and Gayle Rankin in the lead roles. Following their September 2024 departure, duos Adam Lambert and Auli’i Cravalho, and Orville Peck and Eva Noblezada played the titular roles.

Porter stepped into the role of the Emcee, alongside co-star Marisha Wallace as Sally Bowles, in July. The duo was expected to lead the production’s final 13 weeks — originally scheduled to end on Oct. 19 — before Porter’s illness sidelined him.

“Billy was an extraordinary ‘Emcee,’ bringing his signature passion and remarkable talent,” said Speers. “We wish Billy a speedy recovery, and I look forward to working with him again in the very near future.”

As of Sept. 21, the production will have played 18 preview performances and 592 regular performances. Marty Lauter and David Merino, the production’s longtime alternates for Emcee, will share the role for the final two weeks of performances. Their exact performance schedules — opposite Wallace as Bowles — are forthcoming.

EXCLUSIVE: Love Is Blind UK favourite Ashleigh has revealed when her relationship with Billy ended as things got ‘icy’ after their wedding day.

*Warning – this article contains spoilers for Love Is Blind UK season 2.*

Season 2 of Love Is Blind UK may be over, but last night’s reunion episode demonstrated that plenty of drama has taken place since the cameras stopped rolling.

In the second season of the Netflix series, we saw three pairs tie the knot: Kieran and Megan, Kal and Sarover and Billy and Ashleigh.

However, it seems the latter two couples have since called it quits not long after the show finished filming.

It comes after fans were concerned that Billy would turn Ashleigh down at the altar, after previously expressing concerns about their different work schedules would impact the relationship.

In an exclusive interview, Cabin Crew Manager Ashleigh opened up about the breakdown of her marriage to Billy, admitting they now ‘don’t speak much’.

She revealed that their relationship had ended “within a day” of fellow ex-couple Sarover and Kal, who also tied the knot on the show but split soon after.

Speaking about their difficult break-up, Ashleigh explained: “There was a follow-up conversation two weeks later.

“But yeah, we left the experiment; he said ‘yes’ to me and I was like, ‘This is all I needed. Billy has reassured me with that yes that this is going to work.

“‘He’s getting married for the second time, this is the real deal,’” she added.

“But unfortunately it wasn’t the real deal and he walked away with no fight. It was three months where I felt I was problem solving and looking to the future and he was just walking away from me.

“And I think, when you fall in love with someone, you grow to love them even more when the cameras are away and it’s just us now,” she reflected.

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“But I felt he was more and more cold towards me and icy and my friends and family saw that side of Billy.

“And he walked away with no fight in January and we haven’t really spoken much since,” she admitted, as Sarover also confirmed that she and Kal “don’t speak either”.

Sarover had a similar perspective on her relationship with Kal, saying: “We tried to make it work, I was in love with him and he just ended it and I was blindsided.

“That was it, there was no conversation to be had, he just walked away.”

Meanwhile, Jed and Bardha have also called it quits after Bardha said ‘no’ to Jed at the altar, and Katisha and Javen have also parted ways following her decision to leave the process early.

Nonetheless, one happy marriage has come out of the experiment, as Kieran and Megan have confirmed it is still “all plain sailing” for their relationship.

Love Is Blind UK season 2 is available to stream now, exclusively on Netflix.

Sheridan Smith stars in ITV’s new four-part series, I Fought The Law, as Ann Ming, whose daughter, Julie Hogg, was tragically strangled to death by Billy Dunlop

Ann Ming’s relentless fight for justice for daughter is nothing short of remarkable. On 16 November 1989, Billy Dunlop, 25, strangled 22-year-old mum-of-one, Julie Hogg, to death – and hid her corpse behind a bath panel in her home in County Durham.

Julie was tragically found decomposing by her mother, Ann, 80 days later and, despite evidence against Dunlop, juries twice failed to find him guilty of the crime.

However, while serving a prison sentence for unrelated violent offences, Dunlop confessed to Julie’s death. But there was a twist: under the centuries-old double jeopardy rule, he couldn’t be tried again for the same crime.

READ MORE: I Fought The Law’s Sheridan Smith left ‘shaking mess’ over murdered woman hidden under bathREAD MORE: ‘I discovered my daughter’s body after she was murdered and her killer didn’t get jailed for years’

However, for Ann, played by Sheridan Smith in ITV’s new adaptation of the tragedy, I Fought the Law, giving up wasn’t an option. She petitioned politicians for more than a decade, lobbied the media and refused to let Julie’s case go unheard, with unwavering support from her husband Charlie, played by Daniel York Loh, in the crime drama.

So, as we wait to watch the four-part series, which starts on ITV at 9pm tonight, here’s the chilling discoveries that lead to Dunlop’s arrest and eventual life imprisonment…

Ann Ming finds her daughter’s body

When Julie disappeared from her home in November 1989, leaving behind her toddler son Kevin. Her mother, Ann, immediately sensed something awful had happened.

Three months later, her maternal instincts were tragically vindicated. She discovered Julie’s body, hidden under the bath at her home.

Ann agreed that her daughter’s husband, who Julie had been in the process of separating from when she was killed, could move back into her daughter’s house with their three-year-old son, Kevin.

However, when her son-in-law went inside the home, he complained a strange smell was coming from the bathroom. Ann noticed the bath panel was loose and pulled it away, uncovering her daughter’s body, wrapped in a blanket: “That was the start of a living nightmare,” she said.

Chilling evidence heard at trial

Dunlop, who knew Julie from their local area and visited her at home after a day’s drinking before killing the mum-of-one, went on trial at Newcastle Crown Court on 7 May 1991, where a jury heard that there was finger print evidence on Julie’s keys.

Dunlop’s sperm was also on the blanket he’d wrapped her in, and there were fibres from the jumper he’d been wearing.

The prosecution team felt it was strong enough evidence to satisfy a jury – but, sadly, they were mistaken. The jury failed to reach a verdict and the judge ordered a retrial for 3 October 1991.

Dunlop’s defence team tried to then convince the jury that Julie had died of natural causes following a consensual act between her and Dunlop. However, they failed to reach a verdict for a second time and Dunlop was acquitted and could never be trialled again due to the double jeopardy law and walked away a free man.

Dunlop confesses

While serving a prison sentence for unrelated violent offences after the trial, Dunlop confessed to Julie’s killing. But there was a twist: under the centuries-old double jeopardy rule, he couldn’t be tried again for the same crime.

The police wanted to arrest him for perjury, but needed more evidence than just an admission.

As a result, a female prison officer wore a wire and obtained 90 hours of material about what happened on the night of Hogg’s death. He was arrested, pleaded guilty to the murder, and jailed for six years to be served consecutively to his existing sentence.

Ann’s battle for justice – ‘For once in my life, I’m speechless’

Driven by grief and determination, Ann launched a 15-year campaign to overturn the centuries-old double jeopardy law – which once prevented a person from being tried twice for the same crime.

Of course, Ann wasn’t satisfied with Dunlop’s perjury sentence and asked her MP, Frank Cook, to help her meet Home Secretary Jack Straw to scrap the double jeopardy law. He recommended she speak to the Law Commission and, in 2002, her 13 years of campaigning finally came to fruition.

A white paper advising changes be made to the legislation, to affect both future and retrospective cases, was presented in parliament by David Blunkett, and in April 2005, the 800-year-old law was binned for good. Ann told reporters at the time: “I just can’t believe it. For once in my life I’m speechless.”

In September 2006, Dunlop went on trial at the Old Bailey and was found guilty and sentenced to life behind bars. All his requests for parole and to be moved to an open prison have been denied.

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Aug. 8 (UPI) — President Donald Trump on Friday replaced Bill Long as Internal Revenue Service commissioner after less than two months on the job with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in a temporary role.

The New York Times was the first media outlet to confirm his ouster and Long later announced his departure on X with plans to become Iceland’s ambassador.

“It is a honor to serve my friend President Trump and I am excited to take on my new role as the ambassador to Iceland. I am thrilled to answer his call to service and deeply committed to advancing his bold agenda. Exciting times ahead!”

A spokesperson for the Treasury Department, which oversees the IRS, said in a statement to NBC News that the department “thanks Commissioner Long for his commitment to public service and the American people. His zeal and enthusiasm to bring a fresh perspective to the Federal Government was evident in both the House of Representatives and as part of the Trump Administration.”

Bessent has already been tasked with negotiating tariff rates as part of trade talks. Also, he is helping with the search for ultimately the next Federal Reserve chairman.

Long was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on June 12 and sworn in as commissioner four days later to a term that was supposed to last through Nov. 12, 2027. Trump nominated him on Dec. 4, 2024. While awaiting confirmation, he was appointed as a senior adviser in the Office of Personnel Management.

Lpng had limited tax experience and had supported the abolishment of the agency, CNN reported.

He served in the U.S. House from 2011 to 2023, representing a district in Missouri, and was previously an auctioneer.

On Thursday, he sent an email to all IRS employees with the subject line: “It’s Almost FriYay that read: “Please enjoy a 70-minute early exit tomorrow. That way you’ll be rested for my 70th birthday on Monday,” The New York Times reported.

He signed it: “Call Me Billy.”

The IRS has been processing tax forms since the April 15 deadline with extensions until Aug. 15.

The IRS workforce has shrunk 25% amid Trump’s government cuts and mass buyouts. In all there are plans to cut its 102,000 workforce by up to 40%, according to a memo obtained by CBS News in April.

And 26% of the agents who conduct audits have left the agency by May, according to the report.

And the IRS has been dealing with new deductions and tax cuts after the passage of the sprawling spending bill, labeled as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” The new law has no tax on tips or overtime.

Seven different people will have led the agency since Trump won the 204 election.

Danny Wefel held the role until Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20 despite a statutory five-year term.

Other acting commissioners had policy differences with Trump: Doug O’Connell and Melanie Krause. Another acting boss, Gary Shapley, was appointed but ousted Bessent a few days later because he didn’t want him. Deputy Secretary Michael Faulkender became the acting commissioner until Long was confirmed.

Billy Joel reassured fans about his health on Monday.

The 76-year-old musician had previously canceled all of his scheduled concerts after announcing in May that he was diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH). NPH occurs when excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain’s ventricles, with patients experiencing cognitive decline, difficulty walking and urinary incontinence, according to the Alzheimer’s Assn.

Joel’s recent concert performances worsened his symptoms, leading to hearing, vision and balance problems, he shared in a May 23 statement. While on Bill Maher’s podcast, “Club Random,” the “Piano Man” crooner said he often feels like he’s on a boat, but otherwise, he’s doing just fine.

“I feel good,” Joel said, seated at a piano. “They keep referring to what I have as a brain disorder so it sounds a lot worse than what I’m feeling.”

Joel noted that the condition is idiopathic, meaning no one knows the cause.

“I thought it must be from drinking,” he said, adding that he doesn’t drink anymore. “I used to, like a fish.”

Joel finished his decade-long residency at Madison Square Garden in July 2024 after 104 monthly shows at the venue. His now-canceled tour included dates across the U.S. and performances with Stevie Nicks, Rod Stewart and Sting.

The first installment of Joel’s documentary, “Billy Joel: And So It Goes,” premiered Friday on HBO. The two-part series takes a deep dive into the pianist’s journey from a bullied kid in Long Island to a legendary hitmaker, and features appearances from Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Pink and Sting.

Part 1 “is notable in how it reframes the narrative around his relationship with his former wife and manager Elizabeth Weber, explaining how she was instrumental in guiding his career and helping him become a superstar — and how songs like ‘Big Shot’ and ‘Stiletto’ were inspired by the rocky times in their marriage,” wrote Times television editor Maira Garcia. “It’s a compelling and nuanced portrait of an imperfect person who created timeless music and whose influence continues to reverberate.”

Part 2 of “And So It Goes” premieres Friday on HBO and HBO Max.

One of Coronation Street’s longest running characters is reportedly set to be killed off in explosive scenes after being told his time on the show was coming to an end

A Coronation Street icon is set to be killed off, according to reports. After 11 years on the Weatherfield cobbles, time is said to be up on Daniel Brocklebank’s Billy Mayhew.

And in true Corrie fashion, it’s said bosses are planning an explosive exit for the long-running star. The actor behind the man of the cloth was told earlier in the year that his character was to be written out of proceedings on the ITV soap.

It has now been claimed the archdeacon will be killed off in one of the biggest storylines of the festive period. According to sources, bosses don’t have any plans for Daniel’s character to return.

“There aren’t any plans to bring him back onto the soap so it makes sense make his exit the most impactful and explosive it can be,” a source told the Sun.

“It’s likely Billy will be a focus point of the Christmas/New Year storylines, with fans expected to be at the edge of their seats in the run-up.”

With little else known on his exit, fans will eagerly await any big storyline. Daniel, meanwhile previously admitted he was “sad” to be leaving the soap. He recently said: “I have been working on ‘Corrie’ for a quarter of my life.

“I have adored every minute I have been in that building and have never not looked forward to going into work. I love everyone who works on this show and whilst I am sad to be going, I am equally excited to see what the future holds.”

The actor’s partner, Jordan Coulthard later admitted the decision to leave the Corrie cobbles wasn’t one that was led by Daniel. He also branded his axing as a “huge mistake” by bosses.