COVENTRY City’s upcoming home game against Oxford United will kick-off one minute later than scheduled as part of a CPR campaign.
Some 36 EFL fixtures, across three divisions, from February 5 to 9 will kick-off one minute later than scheduled.
Coventry’s game against Oxford will kick-off at 3.01pm on Saturday, February 7 at the Coventry Building Society Arena.
The kick-off times have changed to raise awareness for Sky Bet and the British Heart Foundation’s ‘Every Minute Matters’ campaign.
More than 400,000 people have started to learn CPR since the campaign launched in May 2024.
With February being ‘Heart Month’, Sky Bet, the BHF and the EFL hope to inspire half a million people to start leaning CPR by the end of the month.
And moving kick-off times by one minute reinforces the message that when it comes to performing life-saving CPR – every minute matters.
EFL chief executive officer, Trevor Birch, said: “Our 72 clubs sit at the heart of their communities, and they show time and again how football can drive real-world change.
“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 Every Minute Matters campaign in May 2024, 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 BHF ambassador, Tom Lockyer, added: “What happened to me can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time.
“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.
“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.
“This February, we want everyone to get behind this life-saving initiative, learn the skills and be ready to step in – because your actions could give someone else the chance I was given.”
British Heart Foundation chief executive, Dr Charmaine Griffiths, said: “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
“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.”
To learn more about CPR using a free online tool, visit: revivr.bhf.org.uk/efl or search ‘BHF RevivR’
