EFL play-off finals to kick off one minute later than scheduled as part of ‘truly groundbreaking' campaign
EFL playoff matches at Wembley this season will all kick off one minute later than originally scheduled.
The Home of Football is gearing up to host the Championship, League One and League Two playoff finals later this month.
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EFL bosses have signed up to a new initiative alongside the British Heart Foundation.
The Every Minute Matters campaign aims to inspire supporters to learn CPR.
More than 270,000 people have already learned the life-saving skill thanks to the campaign, which launched during last season's playoffs.
In a bid to raise awareness, each match at Wembley will now kick off 60 seconds later than billed.
As a result, Sunderland 's showdown with Sheffield United has now been scheduled for 3.01pm on May 24.
Leyton Orient will face Charlton for a place in the Championship on May 25, with the game now underway at 1.01pm.
And Walsall's League Two playoff final against AFC Wimbledon will kick-off at 3.01pm on Monday, May 26.
Luton Town's Tom Lockyer suffered a cardiac arrest during a Premier League game against Bournemouth in December 2023.
The 30-year-old is now a British Heart Foundation ambassador and is backing the initiative.
Lockyer 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.
Tom Lockyer shows defibrillator fitted into his chest after Luton captain suffered cardiac arrest in Bournemouth clash
"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."
Dr Charmaine Griffiths, Chief Executive of the BHF, 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."
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