Play-off finals to kick off late to spotlight CPR
Tom Lockyer thanks the medical staff who saved his life at Bournemouth
- Published
All three English Football League play-off finals will kick off one minute later than scheduled this weekend to raise awareness of the Every Minute Matters campaign.
Saturday's Championship final between Sunderland and Sheffield United and Monday's League Two showpiece between AFC Wimbledon and Walsall will both kick off at 15:01 BST.
Sunday's League One decider between Charlton and Leyton Orient will begin at 13:01 BST.
The unique kick-off times are designed to spotlight the collaboration, between EFL sponsor Sky Bet and the British Heart Foundation (BHF), which highlights the importance of learning CPR.
In the 2023 Championship play-off final, Luton captain Tom Lockyer collapsed just eight minutes into their game against Coventry, which the Hatters went on to win on penalties.
Seven months later, Lockyer suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch during a Premier League game at Bournemouth.
Now a BHF ambassador, Lockyer said: "I was just one of more than 30,000 people who suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest every year in the UK.
"I'm lucky to be alive today, but the reality is that less than one in 10 people usually survive, which is why it's vital we continue to raise awareness. The symbolic kick-off times are the perfect way to make our lifesaving message impossible to ignore."
The campaign aims to inspire supporters to learn CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), equipping them with vital skills that could help them save someone's life, with a target of getting 360,000 people to use the British Heart Foundation's online RevivR tool and start learning the lifesaving technique.
"By kicking off all three play-off finals one minute later, Every Minute Matters continues to harness the power and visibility of football to encourage even more people to learn CPR, which could ultimately help to save even more lives," said EFL chief executive officer Trevor Birch.
Dr Charmaine Griffiths, chief executive at the British Heart Foundation, added: "With millions of eyes on the play-off finals, it's incredible to get the support of the EFL in our bid to encourage more fans to learn this lifesaving skill.
"It only takes 15 minutes to learn with our free online tool RevivR, and knowing it could make the difference between life and death in the event of witnessing a cardiac arrest."