Football Association Bans Solid Perimeter Walls Following Death of Arsenal Academy Player Billy Vigar

The Football Association has prohibited solid brick, breeze block, and concrete perimeter barriers around pitches across the National League system and Women's National League, following a comprehensive safety review initiated after Billy Vigar's death in September. The 21-year-old, a former Arsenal academy member, sustained a significant brain injury after colliding with a concrete wall while playing for Chichester City at Wingate and Finchley FC. The new criteria take effect for the 2026-27 season, representing a substantial shift in stadium safety standards across multiple competitive levels.

Implementation and Requirements

Clubs operating in the affected divisions—National League Steps 1-6 for men and Women's National League Tiers 3-4—must remove existing solid barriers as soon as reasonably practicable or apply protective coverings where structural removal is not feasible. Matches may continue at affected grounds during the transition period, provided clubs conduct ongoing safety assessments and develop completion plans within a reasonable timeframe. The FA and Premier League have committed to providing funding through the Premier League Stadium Fund to support the infrastructure changes required across clubs.

Background to the Policy Change

Vigar's death reignited concerns about pitch-side safety that had emerged years earlier. In November 2022, Bath City player Alex Fletcher suffered a fractured skull after colliding with a concrete advertising hoarding during a match. Following that incident, the government and the Professional Footballers' Association formally wrote to football authorities in June 2023, urging more proactive measures to protect players from perimeter hazards. A public petition calling for a ban on brick walls around football pitches subsequently gathered more than 4,000 signatures, demonstrating sustained public concern about preventable injuries in the sport.

The independent health and safety experts who conducted the review determined that solid barriers posed unacceptable risks to player safety and recommended their elimination across the system. This decision represents one of the most significant stadium safety mandates in recent English football governance.