Official: The FA bans hard pitch-side barriers after Billy Vigar's death
Concrete walls around football pitches in England are now a thing of the past.
Details: The English Football Association has officially banned the use of hard barriers made of brick and concrete along the sidelines throughout the National League system. The decision takes effect from the 2026/27 season and follows a safety review launched after the death of 21-year-old forward Billy Vigar in September 2025.
Arsenal academy graduate Vigar died from a severe brain injury after crashing into a concrete wall at Wingate & Finchley Stadium while playing for Chichester City, trying to keep the ball in play. The tragedy sparked outrage: a petition titled “Vigar’s Law” collected thousands of signatures demanding the removal of hard structures near pitches. Under the new regulations, all existing concrete barriers must be dismantled as soon as possible or covered with special shock-absorbing padding.
A sobering fact: the review revealed that a number of amateur clubs did not meet basic safety standards at all, and Vigar’s tragedy finally forced officials to act.
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