All English Football League (EFL) play-off final matches held at Wembley Stadium this season are set to commence one minute later than their original scheduled times.
Wembley, often referred to as the `Home of Football`, is preparing to host the highly anticipated play-off finals for the Championship, League One, and League Two divisions later in May.
The decision comes as EFL officials have partnered with the British Heart Foundation (BHF) for a significant new initiative.
This campaign, titled `Every Minute Matters`, aims to motivate football enthusiasts and the wider public to acquire essential CPR skills. Since its launch during the previous season`s play-offs, the campaign has already helped over 270,000 people learn this life-saving technique.
To amplify this crucial message, every play-off final game at Wembley will now begin 60 seconds after its initially advertised kick-off time.
As a direct result of this schedule adjustment, the specific match times for the finals have been revised. For example, Sunderland`s final match against Sheffield United is now slated for a 3:01 PM kick-off on May 24th.
Similarly, the game between Leyton Orient and Charlton, competing for a spot in the Championship, will now start at 1:01 PM on May 25th.
The League Two play-off final, featuring Walsall versus AFC Wimbledon, is scheduled to kick off at 3:01 PM on Monday, May 26th.
The campaign is notably supported by Luton Town captain Tom Lockyer, who experienced a cardiac arrest on the field during a Premier League match against Bournemouth in December 2023.
The 30-year-old defender, now an ambassador for the British Heart Foundation, is a strong advocate for the initiative.
Lockyer shared his personal connection, stating: “I was just one of over 30,000 people in the UK who experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest every year.”
He added: “I am incredibly lucky to be alive today, but the reality is that less than 1 in 10 people typically survive, which underscores precisely why it’s absolutely vital that we continue our efforts to raise awareness.”
“The symbolic alteration to the kick-off times is the perfect method to make our critical life-saving message unavoidable,” Lockyer remarked. “Over the span of the past year, the entire EFL community—including fans, players, and the clubs themselves—has come together and shown united backing for the Sky Bet Every Minute Matters campaign, helping to achieve something I honestly never believed possible.”
“And now, as we approach the exciting conclusion of the season, the Sky Bet Play-Off Finals provide an unparalleled platform to continue spreading this vital information and effectively mark the end of what has been a truly transformative year in the collective fight against cardiac arrest,” he concluded.
Dr. Charmaine Griffiths, the Chief Executive of the BHF, also commented: “The Every Minute Matters campaign has been genuinely groundbreaking by successfully encouraging hundreds of thousands of people to commence learning the vital skill of CPR.”
“With the Play-Off Finals capturing the attention of millions, securing the support of the EFL in our mission to encourage even more fans to learn this potentially life-saving skill is incredibly significant,” she stated.
Dr. Griffiths further explained: “It requires just 15 minutes to learn using our completely free online tool, RevivR, and possessing this knowledge could ultimately be the critical difference between life and death should you ever witness someone experiencing a cardiac arrest.”
Marcus Bellamy