FA to Review Perimeter Walls After Billy Vigar's Death
The FA says it will immediately review safety barriers around pitches in the National League System following the 21-year-old's death, as calls for bans on concrete walls intensify.
The Football Association said Friday it will conduct an immediate review of the safety of perimeter walls and boundaries around pitches in the National League System after the death of Billy Vigar, a 21-year-old former Arsenal academy player who suffered a serious brain injury during a match last weekend.
Vigar collapsed after colliding with a concrete wall while playing for Chichester City against Wingate & Finchley in the Isthmian League Premier Division. He was taken to hospital and placed in an induced coma after undergoing surgery on Tuesday, but his family confirmed his death on Thursday. The club said Vigar’s passing followed a “horrific” injury and that tributes would be paid at National League System and Emirates FA Cup games this weekend.
The FA’s statement said: 'We are deeply saddened by the passing of Billy Vigar. Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with his family, friends, loved ones, and everyone at Chichester City FC, and tributes will be paid to Billy.' It added that the review would focus on safety of perimeter walls and boundaries and would be conducted in collaboration with leagues, clubs and other stakeholders to identify additional measures clubs can implement.
The call for safer grounds has grown since Vigar’s death, with fans and club officials urging action. A petition branded 'Vigar’s Law' has gathered thousands of signatures—well over 6,000 at the time of this writing—focusing on the removal of brick walls and other hard, immovable structures around pitches. Proponents argue that barriers placed mere feet from touchlines can pose unacceptable risks to players who chase or shield the ball.
The incident has echoes of a near-miss two years earlier when Bath City defender Jack Fletcher sustained a serious head injury after colliding with advertising hoardings during a National League South match in November 2022. Fletcher survived after emergency surgery and a lengthy period in a coma, later returning to football but retiring in 2024 at age 25. He has since spoken publicly about the need for safer grounds and joined the PFA in its brain health work to push for changes. A 2023 letter from the PFA and the Sport Minister urged leagues and the FA to provide clearer guidance to clubs to prevent similar incidents.
Earlier this year, and just weeks before Vigar’s death, part of a breeze-block wall at Wingate & Finchley’s ground collapsed near a goal, prompting criticism from the club’s chairman and renewed calls to reassess ground safety. Dorking Wanderers manager and media figure Mark White highlighted pitches as 'lethal' and called for an immediate inquiry into pitch surrounds.
While the FA review focuses on the National League System, observers say any lasting changes would need cooperation from ground authorities, local councils and leagues at all levels of the sport. The governing body said it would step in where necessary to help clubs implement improvements that reduce risk to players, staff and spectators.
The football community remains focused on balancing the sport’s accessibility with safety, especially at non-league venues where stadiums and fields may lack the same infrastructure seen in higher divisions. As tributes unfold this weekend, the wider question remains: how quickly and how comprehensively can venues be adapted to prevent injuries without stifling the grassroots game?