Wembley stands renamed at Sky Bet EFL Play-Offs
Fans with inspiring cardiac arrest stories are being recognised at Wembley Stadium to encourage more people to learn CPR.
Across the Sky Bet EFL Play-Offs weekend, Wembley Stadium stands are being temporarily renamed in honour of four football supporters whose extraordinary stories of survival and courage highlight the lifesaving power of CPR.
The powerful tribute, seen by around 200,000 fans attending matches between 23 and 25 May – and millions more watching at home – is part of our Every Minute Matters campaign with Sky Bet, supported by the EFL.
Giant signage across Wembley is shining a spotlight on four supporters – each with a story that shows how quick action and CPR can save lives:
- The Callum Lawson Stand – a Sunderland fan who survived a cardiac arrest during last year’s Championship Play-Off Final.
- The Pippa Sharman Stand – a Reading supporter who helped save the life of an opposition fan after they collapsed following a match
- The Andy Wall Stand – a Norwich City fan who survived a cardiac arrest while watching his team
- The Ed McCann Stand – a Bradford City fan who survived a cardiac arrest with the help of a Burnley supporter who performed CPR
Three of the four would not be here today without someone stepping forward to perform CPR.
A powerful reminder that every minute matters
Every year in the UK, more than 40,000 people have an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, and tragically fewer than one in ten survive.
That’s why the Every Minute Matters campaign is urging more people to learn CPR. When someone has a cardiac arrest, every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces their chance of survival by up to 10 per cent.
In a historic first we are bringing these stories to the biggest stage in English football, the campaign is showing that anyone can save a life.
The stand renaming builds on the growing impact of Every Minute Matters, which uses the power of football to reach millions of fans.
Launched in partnership with Sky Bet and backed by the EFL, the campaign has already inspired more than 520,000 people to start learning CPR using our free online tool, RevivR.
Previous activity has included symbolic kick-off times and matchday moments to highlight how every minute counts when someone’s life is on the line.
Inspiring a nation of lifesavers
Our Community Resuscitation Manager, Sam Kennard, said: “It’s incredibly moving to see these four supporters honoured at Wembley during the 40th Sky Bet EFL Play-Off Finals. They are a powerful reminder of exactly why every minute matters.
"A cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time – and the difference between life and death is often whether someone nearby has the knowledge and confidence to step in and start CPR.
We hope their stories will inspire even more people across the country to learn this lifesaving skill. It takes just 15 minutes – the length of half-time – to learn CPR with RevivR. That’s why we’re urging everyone to get involved today so more lives can be saved when it matters most.”
Every Minute Matters ambassador Tom Lockyer said: “These stories are proof that ordinary people can make an extraordinary difference when every minute matters.
Whether they survived a cardiac arrest or stepped forward to help someone else, each of these fans has shown incredible courage.”