THE EFL is making a major kick-off change this weekend.
From February 5-9th, games all around the country will kick off ONE MINUTE LATER than scheduled.
The unique change to kick-off times has baffled footie fans up and down the country.
And SunSport is on hand to explain the reason for the delayed start time.
Why are EFL matches kicking off one minute later this weekend?
Thirty-six fixtures have been delayed by a minute to highlight that every minute matters when it comes to performing CPR, which is a critical life-saving tool.
All three EFL divisions – The Championship, League One & League Two, are involved.
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The British Heart Foundation, EFL and Sky Bet are all determined this February, known as Heart Month, to increase awareness of the BHF’s ‘Every Minute Matters’ Campaign among football fans.
The EMM campaign has already motivated over 400,000 people to educate themselves about CPR since the campaign launched in May 2024.
This month, the aim is to attract at least half a million people to learn CPR.
It is an ambitious task, however, the EFL, Sky Bet and the BHF believe they can achieve this.
What’s been said?
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.
Bristol Rovers defender and BHF ambassador Tom Lockyer, who suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch during a Premier League match against Bournemouth on December 16, 2023, said: “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.”
Dr Charmaine Griffiths, Chief Executive at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), 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.”
As football once again shows its power beyond the pitch, the one-minute kick-off delays serves as a simple but striking reminder that fast action can save lives.
The EMM campaign urges you to get involved, gain life-savings skills, and be ready when it matters most, because in a cardiac emergency, every minute truly does count.
Supporters can learn CPR by using the BHF’s free, simple online tool, RevivR. Fans can search ‘BHF RevivR’ or visit revivr.bhf.org.uk/efl