A new campaign will see Wembley Stadium rename its stands during the Play-Offs weekend.
They will be named after fans who’ve survived cardiac arrest, to encourage people to learn CPR.
Giant signage across the stadium will pay homage to 4 people, including Bradford City supporter Ed McCann, whose life was saved with the help of a Burnley fan who stepped up to perform CPR; and a 22 year old from Sunderland who was saved thanks to the quick actions of those around him and the Wembley medical team.
It is part of Sky Bet and British Heart Foundation’s Every Minute Matters campaign, supported by the EFL, which has already inspired over half a million people to start learning CPR.
The four temporary stand names will be seen by around 200,000 fans attending the 40th Sky Bet EFL Play-Offs between 23 and 25 May, as well as millions more watching live on television.
The Ed McCann stand will be in honour of a Bradford City supporter, who suffered a cardiac arrest while on a work trip in Blackpool in November 2017. Bar manager, Jason Clegg immediately recognised what was happening and performed CPR for around 10 minutes until paramedics arrived, helping to save Ed’s life. Ed was later fitted with an Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD) in hospital following the cardiac arrest.
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At the time, Ed’s wife was heavily pregnant with their second child and went into labour while he was recovering in hospital, meaning Ed met his newborn son for the first time through the cardiac ward window from across the hospital car park.
“It’s surreal and incredibly humbling to have a stand at Wembley named after me. I was lucky, when I had my cardiac arrest e someone nearby knew CPR and acted immediately,” said McCann.
“Without their help, I might have not been there to see my children grow up or have all the moments with my family that I treasure today. Every Minute Matters is such an important campaign because a cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, anywhere, and learning CPR gives people the power to help save a life. I hope hearing stories like mine encourages more fans to take those few minutes to learn the skill.”
The Callum Lawson Stand is for a 22-year-old Sunderland fan, who had a cardiac arrest while watching his team alongside his family during last year’s Championship play-off final at Wembley. It happened less than 20 minutes after Tom Lockyer and Vinnie Jones performed a CPR demo at half time.
Due to the quick actions of fellow fans and the Wembley medical team, who administered CPR, Callum survived. He had a pre-existing heart condition and has since had his pacemaker upgraded to include an ICD.
“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,” added Every Minute Matters ambassador Tom Lockyer, who collapsed on the pitch during Luton Town’s Play-Off Final victory at Wembley in 2023 and is fitted with an ICD.
“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.
“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 more than 500,000 people have now started learning CPR through Every Minute Matters is something everyone involved in the campaign should be proud of.”
Each year in the UK, more than 40,000 people suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, with less than one in ten surviving.
