The Football Association has updated its Stadium Accreditation Criteria for the 2026-27 season, banning solid brick, breeze block and concrete barriers around pitches at clubs across the National League System and the Women’s National League.
The change follows a safety review prompted by the death of Billy Vigar, who suffered a fatal brain injury after colliding with a perimeter wall while playing for Chichester City against Wingate & Finchley last season.
The review, covering pitch perimeter walls across the National League System and Women’s National League, was conducted by independent health and safety experts and is intended to help clubs identify ways to mitigate safety risks at their grounds. The updated criteria apply to Steps 1-6 of the men’s non-league pyramid.
Clubs with existing solid barriers have been told to remove them “as soon as reasonably practicable,” or to cover them with suitable protection where removal isn’t structurally possible. Fixtures can continue at affected grounds in the meantime, but clubs are expected to keep assessing their perimeter barriers on an ongoing basis and put together a plan to complete any recommended alterations within a reasonable timeframe.
To help cover the cost, the FA and the Premier League will jointly fund the work through the Premier League Stadium Fund, with the first phase of the programme already under way.
One club already acting on the change is Chester FC, whose Deva Stadium was assessed on the FA’s behalf last month, producing a set of recommendations the club is now working through as it adjusts its pitch perimeter for the new season.
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