FA bans pitchside walls and barriers across National League after Billy Vigar death | OneFootball

The Football Association announced on Friday that it has banned fixed pitchside walls and barriers across the National League, following the death of Billy Vigar in September 2025.

Vigar, 21, a former Arsenal academy player, died days after sustaining a severe head injury during an amateur match when he struck his head on a concrete barrier positioned close to the pitch at a seventh-tier ground.

The ban applies to the fifth and sixth tiers of English football. Existing solid brick, blockwork or concrete barriers must be removed as soon as reasonably possible, or fitted with suitable protection if structural constraints prevent removal.

Clubs at this level will be required to take action to comply with the changes. The move follows a safety review commissioned last year and conducted by independent health and safety experts ahead of the 2026-27 season.

The FA and the Premier League will provide funding to help implement the measures.

Source: L'Équipe

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