The Football Association has prohibited solid perimeter walls around football pitches following a safety review prompted by the death of former Arsenal youth player Billy Vigar.
Vigar, 21, died after sustaining a significant brain injury while playing for Chichester City at Wingate and Finchley FC in September 2025. It is believed he was hurt when he struck a concrete wall.
An independent health and safety review for the 2026-27 season concluded that solid brick, breeze block, or concrete barriers are no longer allowed around pitches across the men’s National League system (steps 1-6) and the Women’s National League (tiers 3-4).
The FA said that any existing solid barriers must be removed as soon as reasonably practicable, or covered with appropriate protective material if removal is not possible for structural reasons. Clubs at the affected levels have been informed they must take action.
Matches can continue at grounds with these barriers provided clubs continually assess the safety of their perimeter structures and have a reasonable plan in place to make changes.
Funding to support the alterations will be provided by the FA and the Premier League.
A petition calling for a ban on brick walls around pitches has attracted more than 4,000 signatures since Vigar’s death.
In June 2023, the government and the Professional Footballers’ Association urged the FA, Premier League, English Football League, and National League to take a more proactive stance on player safety in this area.
Their call followed an incident in November 2022 in which Bath City’s Alex Fletcher suffered a fractured skull after colliding with a concrete advertising hoarding during a match.