FA bans deadly pitchside feature from English grounds after footballer death

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FT Desk

The English Football Association has banned solid perimeter walls made of brick and concrete around pitches after a safety review prompted action following the tragic death of former Arsenal youth star Billy Vigar.

In September of 2025, the Chichester striker was put in an intensive care unit after sustaining a serious brain injury during an Isthmian League Premier Division match against Wingate and Finchley.

The 21-year-old suffered the injury after colliding with a concrete wall while attempting to keep the ball in play.

At the time, Chichester said Vigar had been placed in an induced coma and was receiving the best possible treatment in intensive care. Tragically, he passed away five days after the incident due to his severe injuries.

His death led to an investigation into the safety of solid pitchside barriers, and it was determined that they should be banned in grounds around the country.

The review said it "no longer permits solid brick, breeze block or concrete barriers around pitches across the National League system for men [steps 1-6], and the Women's National League [tiers 3-4]".

Clubs that have these structures in place will be allowed to keep playing matches as long as the area is made safer with protective covering. The FA and the Premier League are set to provide funding for any restructuring required.

After Vigar's death, a petition requesting a ban on concrete walls around football pitches received more than 4,000 signatures.

Vigar was a graduate of the Arsenal academy and was playing for the Under-21s side up until his release. He joined Arsenal in 2017 before working his way up the ranks, but he never played for Arsenal's senior side.

He also played for Derby County, Hastings FC and Eastbourne Borough before moving to Chichester City.

Full FA statement

"We have undertaken a review of pitch perimeter walls across the National League System and Women's National League to identify what improvements can be made to our Stadium Accreditation Criteria that will help clubs mitigate potential safety risks at their grounds and stadiums," the full statement from the FA read.

"As a result of this ongoing phased review, which has been conducted by independent Health and Safety experts, we have updated our Stadium Accreditation Criteria for the 2026/27 season.

"This includes introducing revised criteria relating to pitch perimeter barriers, which no longer permits solid brick, breeze block or concrete barriers around pitches across the National League System or men [Steps 1-6], and the Women's National League (Tiers 3-4].

"Any existing solid brick, breeze block or concrete barriers must be removed as soon as reasonably practicable, or covered with suitable protection if they cannot be removed for structural reasons.

"We have informed the clubs at this level that will be required to take action as a result of these changes.

Matches may continue to be played at affected grounds during this period; however, clubs should assess the safety of their pitch perimeter barriers on an ongoing basis, and where alterations to these structures have been recommended during this review, they should develop a plan to complete any such alterations within a reasonable timeframe.

"To support this important work, The FA and the Premier League will provide funding to facilitate these changes, which will be administered by the Premier League Stadium Fund."