FA order major change to all English stadiums after tragic death of ex-Arsenal kid Billy Vigar

SportFootball THE FA have banned solid brick walls around pitches in the wake of Billy Vigar’s tragic death last September. The former Arsenal academy striker died aged 21 after suffering a brain injury while in action for Chichester City against Wingate & Finchley in the seventh tier. Billy Vigar tragically died while playing for Chichester last September Credit: chichestercityfc Vigar was previously part of Arsenal’s academy Credit: Getty Vigar’s fatal injury was sustained in a collision with a pitchside wall. The awful incident prompted a petition for all such walls to be removed from football grounds. Sign up for the Arsenal newsletter Thank you! Government and PFA chiefs had already called for a safety inquiry in June 2023. This followed Alex Fletcher’s November 2022 collision with a hoarding while playing for Bath, which saw him suffer a fractured skull. A safety review by health and safety experts was launched by the Football Association following Vigar’s death. And ahead of the new campaign, the FA have made their decision. The ruling states that it “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].” The FA’s statement goes on to add: “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. Most read in Football “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.” Money will be made available to help clubs make the vital changes. The statement concludes: “To support this important work, The FA and the Premier League will provide funding to facilitate these changes, which will be administered by the Premier League Stadium Fund. “The initial phase of the programme is already underway, and we will continue to provide full support to the clubs involved in this process.” Comment now