Fundraising
BHF and Sky Bet launch new EFL trophy 'Red Boot'
Jermain Defoe and Bobby Zamora joined forces to unveil the new trophy – and explain that every goal scored by the EFL ‘Red Boot’ winner for 2025-2026 will see £50,000 go towards training more people in lifesaving CPR and help fund CureHeart, our ambitious research programme which aims to develop treatments and cures for inherited heart muscle diseases.
While the EFL’s legendary Golden Boot accolade is given to each of the top scorers in the Championship, League One, and League Two, its new bright red counterpart will go to the footballer who achieves the highest tally across the three divisions.
Former England star and goalscoring legend, Bobby Zamora said: “This season’s game plan is clear – for footballers across the EFL to bang in as many goals as possible and raise as much money as they can for the British Heart Foundation and the amazing Every Minute Matters campaign.
“I saw the great work the partnership did last year in raising awareness of the need to learn CPR and I really hope the race for the Red Boot can take the campaign to another level.”
The launch of the Red Boot marks the return of our Every Minute Matters campaign with Sky Bet – a pioneering education campaign that successfully inspired over 300,000 people to engage in learning lifesaving CPR last season.
This season will see the Every Minute Matters campaign raise the bar with a new ambition to recruit over 500,000 lifesavers to start learning CPR this season. The campaign will also be aiming to smash misconceptions and build fan confidence about using defibrillators, so people are confident to act fast and use a defib when it matters.
Every Minute Matters
Former England, Spurs, Sunderland and West Ham marksman, Jermain Defoe added: “Everyone in football saw what the Every Minute Matters campaign achieved last year – inspiring over 300,000 people to start learning CPR was an incredible feat and I’m delighted to be backing the campaign this year and lending my voice to encourage fans of all clubs to learn lifesaving CPR.Jermain continued: “It’s crazy to think that 80% of cardiac arrests happen in the home. Ultimately, that’s why learning CPR is so vital - because if the worst happens while you’re at home watching the football, or on your way to a game you want to be able to act fast knowing you’ve got the skills and confidence to perform potentially lifesaving CPR.”
Saving lives on and off the pitch
Dr Charmaine Griffiths, Chief Executive of the BHF, said: "Our Every Minute Matters campaign with Sky Bet has been truly groundbreaking, and we are excited to kick off a new season with a goal to save and improve even more lives. We can’t wait to see the EFL’s star players get behind The Red Boot in the pursuit of raising funds for our lifesaving work, and every goal scored by the award winner will make a huge impact.
“By funding part of our research into inherited heart muscle diseases, the support of donors like Sky Bet could bring us one step closer to much needed treatments and cures. And, by encouraging more people to learn CPR and improve access to defibrillators, this will equip more people with the skills they need to save a life in the event of a cardiac arrest.”
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