Paul Ince is encouraging football fans to learn how to use a defibrillator as part of the next phase of the Sky Bet and British Heart Foundation (BHF) Every Minute Matters campaign.
The former Manchester United midfielder was working with Glenn Hoddle in a TV studio just under eight years ago when his friend and old England boss suffered a heart attack. Ince held Hoddle in his arms after a quick-thinking sound engineer at BT Sport had used continuous CPR and a defibrillator to revive him.
Ince's personal experience
Ince recalls: "It was Glenn's birthday and it turned into probably the worst experience I've had in my life. I had his head in my hands trying to keep him awake, talking about the World Cup in '98 and our time together at Wolves."
"But the fact that every time I speak to him now, he seems to be on the golf course, shows you just how unbelievably important this campaign is. He would not be here if we were not lucky enough to have someone there who knew how to use a defibrillator and perform CPR."
Launching the new phase
Ince has joined forces with Neil Ruddock, Julian Dicks, Iain Dowie and Roy Keane to form a "toughest-ever" five-a-side team that will urge supporters not to be scared of learning and administering life-saving CPR skills. The Every Minute Matters campaign, funded by Sky Bet and run in conjunction with the BHF, has been running for three years. Research showed that over two-thirds of football fans believe fear could stop them using a defibrillator.
Ince says: "When a heart stops, you don't need to be the toughest person in the room to be a hero, you just need to feel empowered to act. A defibrillator is there to help you, not test you. It guides you every step of the way and there's nothing to be afraid of. It's impossible to hurt someone."
"It takes just 15 minutes to learn how to use a defibrillator with the BHF's free RevivR tool. Giving yourself that confidence could help you to help save a life."
Ruddock's personal motivation
Ruddock also had a deeply personal reason to get involved, explaining: "I was best friends with Justin Edinburgh. For his age (49), he was the fittest man you would ever see. He collapsed in a gym that did not have a defibrillator and we lost him. It was so tragic. That is why this means a lot to me. And that's why I'm calling on fans to face their fears and learn how to use a defibrillator."
"The Sky Bet Every Minute Matters campaign has already had a monumental impact to bring together fans to learn CPR – and you just need to spend 15 minutes using the BHF's free RevivR tool. Doing the training means that if a cardiac arrest happens at home, at work or beside a football pitch, you are ready to step up and help save a life."
First launched in May 2024, the campaign has already inspired more than half a million fans to learn CPR. In September, the campaign is kicking off its next phase - a month-long push to tackle fear and get football fans ready to step up and use a defibrillator. As part of helping as many fans to access lifesaving defibrillators as possible, the campaign is asking fans to check their eligibility and apply for a free defibrillator for their local area through the BHF's Community Defibrillator Funding Programme.
