In a powerful demonstration of football's community impact, thirty-six fixtures across all three English Football League divisions will see their kick-off times deliberately delayed by one minute during the period of February 5th to 9th. This symbolic gesture serves as a stark and poignant reminder that in a cardiac emergency, every single minute is absolutely critical when performing life-saving cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
A Campaign Gaining Momentum
The adjusted schedules are designed to amplify awareness for the transformative Every Minute Matters campaign, a joint initiative by Sky Bet and the British Heart Foundation. With the full backing of the EFL, this vital campaign has already inspired an impressive over 400,000 people to begin learning CPR since its launch in May 2024. February marks Heart Month, and the partners are on a renewed mission to mobilise football supporters nationwide, with an ambitious target of encouraging half a million people across the UK to start learning these crucial skills by the month's end.
How Fans Can Get Involved
Throughout February, the campaign is calling on fans to step up and learn CPR using the BHF's free, simple, and easy-to-use online training tool called RevivR. Supporters can search for 'BHF RevivR' online or visit the dedicated website to access the training in just fifteen minutes. In a unified show of support, all 72 EFL clubs will participate by shifting their match start times by one minute, visually underlining the critical importance of swift action.
Voices from the Football Community
EFL Chief Executive Trevor Birch emphasised the unique position clubs hold. "The 72 Clubs sit at the heart of their communities, and they show time and again how football can drive real-world change," he stated. "The one minute kick-off adjustment is a simple, powerful reminder that swift CPR can be the difference between life and death. Since the launch of the campaign, over 400,000 supporters have already begun learning CPR—now we’re calling on supporters everywhere to join them this February and help us pass the half million mark."
Bristol Rovers defender and British Heart Foundation ambassador Tom Lockyer shared his deeply personal motivation for supporting the campaign, referencing his own on-pitch cardiac arrest. "What happened to me can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time," Lockyer explained. "Every year, more than 40,000 people in the UK suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, and most of them never make it home. I’m here today because of the transformative power of CPR as every minute matters when it comes to saving a life."
He praised the football community's response: "Football has an incredible power to cut through, and since the Play-Off Final last May, Sky Bet and the BHF have galvanised the football community in a way I never imagined. Fans, players and clubs have shown that when we unite behind a single purpose, we can change outcomes and save lives."
A Medical Perspective
Dr. Charmaine Griffiths, Chief Executive of the British Heart Foundation, highlighted the life-saving potential of the initiative. "From the terraces to the training ground, football unites communities, and this Heart Month, together with Sky Bet and the EFL, we can save lives," she said. "These unique kick‑off times are a powerful reminder that every minute matters in a cardiac arrest. Each minute without CPR reduces a person’s chance of survival, so we’re urging fans to learn the skills now, before you ever need them. Learning CPR with our free online tool, RevivR, takes just 15 minutes — and it could be the difference between life and death."
The campaign powerfully illustrates how the nation's passion for football is being harnessed for a critical public health cause, turning matchday rituals into moments of life-saving education and awareness.
