In the next few days, English stadiums will witness a remarkable event, as many matches will start one minute after their scheduled time. This step carries a humanitarian dimension that goes beyond sporting competition, and highlights the importance of saving lives on and off the field.
A humanitarian campaign is behind the decision
The English Football League announced that all Championship, League One and League Two matches this week will start one minute later than the official time, in support of the “Every Minute Matters” campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the importance of rapid intervention in cases of cardiac arrest.
This measure will be applied to 36 matches held between February 5 and 9, in a symbolic message emphasizing that “every minute makes a difference.”
Partnership with the British Heart Foundation
The campaign is being implemented in cooperation between the official sponsor of the League and the British Heart Foundation (BHF), as part of a partnership that began in May 2024, and focuses on raising awareness of the importance of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in saving people suffering from cardiac arrest.
The association stressed that delaying the start of matches “represents a stark reminder that every minute could mean life or death.”
Former stars support the initiative
The campaign is being promoted by a number of former English football stars, including Micah Richards, Jermain Defoe and Glenn Hoddle.
Hodel’s participation carries a poignant personal dimension, after he survived a cardiac arrest in October 2018 thanks to rapid intervention and the application of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, after he fell while working as a television analyst.
Welsh defender Tom Lockyer is also considered one of the ambassadors of the British Heart Foundation, after he suffered two collapses on the field while playing for Luton Town in 2023, one of them during the “Championship” play-off final against Coventry, and the other following a heart attack during a match in the English Premier League against Bournemouth.
In a touching message, Lockyer said: “What happened to me could happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time. “More than 40,000 people in Britain suffer a cardiac arrest every year outside hospitals, and most of them do not return home.”
He added: “I am here today thanks to the power of CPR… Every minute makes a real difference.”
