Kick-off time for Walsall play-off final at Wembley changed as part of major health campaign
Walsall’s League Two play-off final with AFC Wimbledon will kick-off one minute later than originally scheduled as part of a campaign encouraging supporters to learn CPR.
The EFL has announced the Bank Holiday Monday showdown at Wembley will now start at 3.01pm to raise awareness of the Every Minute Matters initiative.
Launched 12 months ago by Sky Bet and the British Heart Foundation (BHF), the campaign aims to inspire supporters to learn CPR, equipping them with vital skills that could help save a life.
It has already surpassed the initial target of encouraging 270,000 people - three times the capacity of Wembley - to learn CPR.
Now, the campaign is aiming to go further by encouraging 360,000 people to use the BHF’s online RevivR tool and to start learning the lifesaving technique.
Saturday’s Championship play-off final and Sunday’s League One final will also kick off a minute later than first scheduled.
The campaign is backed by Luton Town captain, Tom Lockyer, who suffered a cardiac arrest during a Premier League match at Bournemouth in December, 2023.
He said: “I was just one of the more than 30,000 people who suffer an out of hospital cardiac arrest every year in the UK.
“I am lucky to be alive today, but the reality is that less than 1 in 10 people usually survive, which is why it’s vital that we continue to raise awareness. The symbolic kick off times are the perfect way to make our lifesaving message impossible to ignore.
“Over the course of the last year, the EFL community – fans, players and the clubs – have come together and united behind the Sky Bet Every Minute Matters campaign to achieve something I never thought possible.
“And now, as we approach the business end of the season, the Sky Bet Play-Off Finals provide an incredible platform to continue to spread the word and bring the curtain down on a game changing year in the fight against cardiac arrest."
BHF chief executive, Dr Charmaine Griffiths, added: “The Every Minute Matters campaign has been truly groundbreaking by encouraging hundreds of thousands of people to start learning vital CPR.
“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.”
To access BHF’s free, simple and easy-to-use online tool, RevivR, search ‘BHF RevivR’ or visit revivr.bhf.org.uk/efl
