Perimeter walls around pitches banned after Vigar death
Summary
The Football Association (FA) has banned solid walls made of brick, concrete, or blocks around football pitches after a review following the death of youth player Billy Vigar. Clubs must remove these walls or cover them to protect players, with funding provided to help these changes.Key Facts
- Billy Vigar, a former Arsenal youth player, died from a brain injury after hitting a concrete wall during a match in September 2025.
- The FA’s safety review now bans solid perimeter walls around pitches in the men’s National League (levels 1-6) and Women’s National League (tiers 3-4).
- Existing solid walls must either be removed or covered with protective material if removal is not possible.
- Clubs affected by the changes are allowed to continue matches but must plan safety upgrades within a reasonable time.
- The FA and Premier League will provide funds to help clubs make the necessary safety improvements.
- A petition to ban brick walls around football pitches has gathered over 4,000 signatures since Vigar’s death.
- The government and the Professional Footballers’ Association urged football bodies to improve player safety after similar injuries, including a player fracturing his skull in 2022.
- This rule change aims to prevent serious injuries caused by collisions with hard walls surrounding football pitches.
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