Wembley Stands Renamed for CPR Heroes
Four football fans will have stands at Wembley Stadium temporarily named after them during the EFL Play-Off finals, as part of the Every Minute Matters campaign by Sky Bet and the British Heart Foundation (BHF). The initiative, supported by the EFL, aims to encourage football supporters to learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), a skill that can save lives.
Each year in the United Kingdom, over 40,000 individuals suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, yet fewer than one in ten survive. The campaign highlights the critical importance of immediate action. Four supporters will be recognized at the finals, three of whom were saved by quick-thinking bystanders who performed CPR.
One stand will honor Sunderland fan Callum Lawson, who survived a cardiac arrest during last year's Championship Play-Off Final. Another will be named after Pippa Sharman, a Reading supporter who helped save the life of an opposition fan who collapsed at the wheel of their car after a match. Additional stands will recognize Andy Wall and Ed McCann, both cardiac arrest survivors. Wall suffered a cardiac arrest moments before half-time while watching Norwich City, while Bradford fan McCann was aided by a Burnley supporter who administered CPR.
Tom Lockyer, Every Minute Matters ambassador and Luton Town player, collapsed on the pitch during the 2023 Play-Off final victory at Wembley. He said: 'Wembley will always hold huge meaning for me, so to see fans being celebrated who have been through similar experiences to myself is incredibly emotional and special. After experiencing a cardiac arrest, I know first-hand how important immediate CPR and quick action can be. The four people having stands named after them are truly incredible. Whether they survived a cardiac arrest themselves or stepped forward to help save somebody else's life, they've shown extraordinary courage and strength.'
Lockyer added: 'Football has an unbelievable power to bring people together and over the last two years we've seen clubs, players and fans unite behind a cause that genuinely saves lives. These stories are proof that ordinary people can make an extraordinary difference when every minute matters. The fact that 520,000 people have now started learning CPR through Every Minute Matters is something everyone involved in the campaign should be proud of.'
The temporary stand names are expected to be seen by around 200,000 fans attending the Play-Off finals at Wembley, as well as millions more watching live on Sky Sports. Fans can show their support and learn CPR in just 15 minutes by searching BHF RevivR or visiting revivr.bhf.org.uk.
