Changes have been confirmed following the death of former Arsenal academy player Billy Vigar back in September
Billy Vigar during the match U18 Premier League South between Arsenal U18 and Tottenham Hotspur U18.
Billy Vigar played for Arsenal's academy teams. (Image: David Price, Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
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A ban on solid walls surrounding the perimeter of non-league pitches has been announced, following the heartbreaking death of former Arsenal academy player Billy Vigar. The Football Association (FA) have announced the change following a review.
Vigar died from a serious head injury fater colliding with a wall while playing at Wingate & Finchley FC for Chichester City last September. The collision resulted in a significant brain injury, and led to calls for changes to be made.
The 21-year-old previously played for Arsenal's Development squad. He moved to non-league side Hastingss United in 2024, before signing for Chichester City a few months before the accident.
The wall at Wingate and Finchley FC has since been removed, with the FA confirming a comprehensive review of pitch surroundings at non-league grounds. The conclusions of that review have now been made public.
It has been confirmed that the FA: "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]".
In a statement, the FA added: "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."
Flowers are placed below the mural of Billy Vigar in the tunnel at Hornsey Road prior the Barclays Women's Super League match between Arsenal and Aston Villa at Emirates Stadium.
Former Arsenal youth player Billy Vigar died in September. (Image: Mark Leech/Offside, Offside via Getty Images)
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Non-league clubs will receive financial assistance for implementing the modifications, with funding provided by both the FA and the Premier League. The Press Association reports that 160 of the 900 clubs competing at these levels have been approached regarding amendments that will need to be made to their grounds.
The FA added: "The initial phase of the programme is already underway, and we will continue to provide full support to the clubs involved in this process."
Following the announcement, a PFA spokesperson said: "Following the tragic death of Billy Vigar last year, we again highlighted these concerns and made clear our view that the lack of progress and leadership on this issue had been unacceptable.
"As part of working groups set up by the FA following Billy's death, we pushed for the FA's Stadium Accreditation criteria to be amended to ban these types of walls so that there is a clear and centralised policy for clubs to follow.
"Given that, it's a welcome step that the FA's regulations have now been changed to reflect that position.
"However, it will now be important for progress on the removal of such walls - and effective mitigation of risks ahead of their removal - to be properly monitored, and for clubs to be given the support they need so that these changes can happen as soon as possible. Player safety must always come first."