Football Icons Rally Support for Vital Cardiac Arrest Awareness Campaign
February's Heart Month is casting a crucial light on one of the United Kingdom's most pressing health issues: heart and circulatory diseases. A formidable coalition of the nation's most celebrated former footballers has thrown its weight behind a major public health initiative, aiming to transform the nation's response to cardiac emergencies.
A Star-Studded Line-Up for a Life-Saving Cause
The British Heart Foundation's (BHF) 'Every Minute Matters' campaign has garnered impressive backing from a host of footballing legends. Ex-players including Micah Richards, Jermain Defoe, Glenn Hoddle, Sam Allardyce, Phil Jagielka, Fabrice Muamba, Bobby Zamora, Graeme Souness, and Dion Dublin have all pledged their support. The campaign underscores a critical, life-saving message: acting swiftly in the first few minutes after a cardiac arrest is paramount to survival.
Powerful Symbolism on the Pitch and Online
To drive this message home, a symbolic change will occur across the Sky Bet EFL Championship, League One, and League Two. Over the weekend of February 5–9, the kick-off for every single match will be delayed by one minute. This poignant gesture serves as a stark reminder that every minute truly counts when a heart stops beating.
Simultaneously, the football stars have launched a social media blitz. They are flooding platforms with images of themselves making the iconic heart-hands gesture. This visual campaign encourages supporters everywhere to 'Show Your Heart' and, most importantly, to learn CPR using the BHF's free, accessible online tool, RevivR.
Personal Passion and a Clear Call to Action
Former Manchester City defender and popular pundit Micah Richards is a leading voice in the campaign. He is joining forces with professional footballer Tom Lockyer, a remarkable survivor of a cardiac arrest suffered on the pitch. Richards issued a heartfelt plea to fans: "I've played in some nail biters, huge games, but Every Minute Matters is a brilliant partnership that is just bigger than football. Learning CPR takes just 15 minutes and it could save a life. It doesn't get bigger than that."
He added, "Listening to Tom and seeing what he has achieved is inspirational. We're asking fans to 'Show Your Heart' this February and learn one of the most important skills of all, CPR. If football can do this, and create an army of half-a-million lifesavers, it would be an incredible achievement."
Building on a Stadium-Sized Impact
The 'Every Minute Matters' campaign, first launched at Wembley Stadium in May 2024, has already achieved remarkable success. Its initial goal was to engage 270,000 people to begin learning CPR via the RevivR tool by May 2025. The current total has surged to over 450,000 participants. This February, the campaign aims to reach an incredible new milestone of 500,000 people trained.
Further amplifying the message, team captains in the 11 televised EFL games scheduled from February 5-9 will also make the heart-hands gesture before kick-off, inspiring viewers at home. The campaign's partnership between Sky Bet, the British Heart Foundation, and the EFL represents a powerful union of sport and public health advocacy.
This Heart Month initiative demonstrates how the unifying power of football can be harnessed to tackle a national health crisis, empowering ordinary people with the skills to become extraordinary lifesavers.
