Every Minute Matterspublished at 14:39 GMT
14:39 GMT
Kick-offs delayed a minute
Image source, Shutterstock
All EFL games are kicking off one minute late this weekend to raise awareness for the Every Minute Matters campaign.
EFL sponsor Sky Bet and the British Heart Foundation (BHF) have been working together since May 2024 to highlight the importance of speed when it comes to performing life-saving CPR.
Later kick-off times will serve as “a stark reminder that every minute matters”, the EFL said.
Bristol Rovers defender Tom Lockyer collapsed while playing for Luton Town eight minutes into the Championship play-off final against Coventry in May 2023.
Lockyer then suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch seven months later during a Premier League game at Bournemouth.
“What happened to me can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time,” said Lockyer, who is now a BHF ambassador.
“Every year, more than 40,000 people in the UK suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and most of them never make it home.
“I’m here today because of the transformative power of CPR as every minute matters when it comes to saving a life.
“This February, we want everyone to get behind this life-saving initiative, learn the skills and be ready to step in because your actions could give someone else the chance I was given.”
Throughout February, the Every Minute Matters campaign is calling on fans to learn CPR using the BHF’s online RevivR, external, external tool.