Leeds United and Southampton put rivalries on hold on the eve of the Sky Bet Championship Play-Off Final for British Heart Foundation campaign Every Minute Matters – in a bid to recruit 270,000 people to learn CPR
- Stars from Leeds and Southampton have backed the Every Minute Matters campaign
- The campaign aims to recruit 270,000 people to learn CPR by May 2025
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Leeds United and Southampton stars will put their rivalries aside to come together to support the British Heart Foundation’s Every Minute Matters campaign
The two Championship sides will face off in the Play-Off final at Wembley on xx afternoon in a bid to become the third and final team to clinch a place in the Premier League next year.
But ahead of the match, players from both teams – Ryan Manning and Junior Firpo – pledged their support to the campaign which aims to recruit 270,000 people to learn CPR by May 2025.
The Sky Bet-British Heart Foundation campaign launched on May 1 has already seen around 30,000 people take the step to learn the skills.
Leeds United defender Junior Firpo, who learned CPR at Elland Road this week, said: ‘Learning CPR was a really eye-opening experience. I had no idea how simple and easy it is to do – and it’s a skill that could save someone’s life.”
Ahead of the Championship Play-Off final, Leeds stars Junior Firpo (left) and Sam Byram (right) learned CPR as part of the British Heart Foundation’s Every Minute Matters campaign
Ryan Manning (right) and Flynn Downes (left) of Southampton have also backed the campaign
He continued: ‘The Leeds United fans are just incredible, they have supported and supported us every step of the way this season. I would like to see them show their support in another way by supporting this campaign and learning CPR themselves.”
Meanwhile, Saints star Ryan Manning said: ‘If you’re ever in a situation where someone goes into cardiac arrest, that’s when CPR training begins. My advice to anyone is just go do it, search RevivR and you can learn CPR in 15 minutes.
“Ultimately, CPR is a skill that is much better off knowing than not. Hopefully you never have to use it, but if someone close to you had a breakdown, you would be very happy that you knew how to help.’
He continued: “It’s great that we have been able to contribute £30,000 to the campaign so far with the goals we have scored. We want to score a few more on Sunday and hopefully we can donate a few more euros to such a great cause.’
A star-studded line-up of people involved in football come together for a life-saving campaign
Sky Bet has so far pledged £370,000 to the BHF following a free-scoring Sky Bet Play-Offs – with £10,000 donated for every goal.
Southampton manager Russell Martin said: ‘Football is defined by rivalries and next Sunday we will focus on the task ahead, but football is also about collaboration and coming together to take action on issues that matter to our fans and the wider community .
‘Cardiac arrest does not discriminate, it can affect anyone at any time. That is why we stand shoulder to shoulder with the players and staff of Leeds United and are calling on fans from both clubs and fans across the country to learn CPR.”
The Play-Off Final is a poignant moment to call on fans to get behind the campaign as it marks a year since Tom Lockyer first collapsed due to an undiagnosed heart condition during last Wembley match year.
Lockyer is also part of the campaign and will be joined by a host of fellow football stars, including Graeme Souness, David Ginola and Glenn Hoddle, as part of a ‘Re-starting XI’ – a one-off team that includes defender Fabrice Muamba of Derby County’s Megan Tinsley and Wigan Athletic striker Charlie Wyke.
Luton star Tom Lockyer praised the country’s response to the Every Minute Matters campaign
The all-star team of former and current professional players have all shared stories of their scary experiences with their own heart conditions – and now want to give the nation the skills to save lives if they ever find themselves in the middle of a medical emergency.
‘Re-Starting 11’ also features football fans who have survived cardiac arrest or saved someone’s life.
Souness, who was diagnosed with coronary artery disease at the age of 30, said: ‘When it comes to cardiac arrest, every minute really matters. If someone collapses, you cannot hesitate, but you must take immediate action. That’s where CPR training comes in, it gives you the skills and confidence to take action when it matters most.
‘The fact that so many people have already signed up to learn CPR in less than a week says it all. People want to make a difference. Our job is to get the word out and turn 20,000 people into an army of more than a quarter of a million life savers.”