The FA will review the safety of walls surrounding pitches at lower-league football grounds after the death of former Arsenal academy player Billy Vigar.
The 21-year-old died on Thursday after sustaining a “significant brain injury” while playing for Chichester City at Wingate and Finchley FC last weekend.
It has been reported that he collided with a concrete wall.
The FA said on Friday it would conduct an immediate review of the safety of perimeter walls and boundaries in the National League system.
A statement read: “While the health and safety of participants and spectators at the National League System level is the responsibility of the clubs and their local authorities, we will now conduct an immediate review, working with leagues, clubs and relevant stakeholders across the game, that will focus on the safety of perimeter walls and boundaries around pitches in the National League System.
“This will include looking at ways we can assist National League System clubs to identify and implement additional measures at their stadiums that they determine will help to mitigate any potential safety risks.”
Chichester, who play in the Isthmian League Premier Division, have postponed Saturday’s scheduled match against Lewes.
The Professional Footballers’ Association’s chief, Maheta Molango, said there needed to be a formal investigation into the incident, having first urged the FA to act on the issue two years ago.
He said: “All footballers should expect to be safe when they go out to play or train, and to not be put at unnecessary and avoidable risk by factors beyond their control.
“When we previously highlighted potential safety issues in grounds and stadiums, the Sports Minister and I wrote to all the football authorities to urge them to be proactive on this and to make sure all their rules and regulations around player safety were fit for purpose.
“Again, whilst it is important that a proper investigation is allowed to conclude, we have to ensure that opportunities to make grounds safer for players have not been missed and that players don’t feel that serious incidents involving their safety are necessary to prompt change.”
Vigar had joined Arsenal‘s academy, on schoolboy terms, aged 14, before earning a full-time scholarship for the 2020/21 season.
He left the Premier League side in 2024 after making one appearance in the EFL Trophy.
The striker, who also had loan spells at Derby Under-21s and Eastbourne Borough, signed for Hastings before moving to Chichester last month.
