The Football Association (FA) has banned solid perimeter walls around football pitches after a safety review was initiated in response to the death of former Arsenal youth player Billy Vigar. Vigar, 21, died in September 2025 after sustaining a severe brain injury, believed to have been caused by a collision with a concrete wall while playing for Chichester City at Wingate and Finchley FC.
A safety review, conducted by independent health and safety experts and covering the 2026-27 season, mandates that solid brick, breeze block, or concrete barriers are no longer permitted around pitches within the National League system for men (steps 1-6) and the Women's National League (tiers 3-4).
Clubs at these levels have been informed that existing solid barriers must be removed as soon as practicable. If removal is not possible for structural reasons, these barriers must be covered with suitable protection. Matches at affected grounds may continue, provided clubs conduct ongoing safety assessments of their pitch perimeter barriers and have plans in place for necessary changes within a reasonable timeframe.
The FA and the Premier League will offer financial support to assist clubs in making these required modifications. Following Vigar's death, a petition advocating for a ban on brick walls surrounding football pitches garnered over 4,000 signatures. This action also comes after previous calls for enhanced player safety measures in this area. In June 2023, the government and the Professional Footballers' Association sent correspondence to football governing bodies, including the FA, Premier League, English Football League, and National League, urging a more proactive approach.
This incident echoes a previous event in November 2022, when Bath City's Alex Fletcher suffered a fractured skull after colliding with a concrete advertising hoarding during a match.