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Tom Lockyer says ‘every minute counts’ as the weekend EFL action starts later

The cardiac arrest survivor has urged fans to learn lifesaving CPR.

By contributor Simon Peach, Press Association Chief Football Writer
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Supporting image for story: Tom Lockyer says ‘every minute counts’ as the weekend EFL action starts later
Every Minute Matters campaign ambassador Tom Lockyer alongside Wrexham fan and cardiac arrest survivor Maurice Jones, who are calling on the nation to ‘Show your Heart’ and learn CPR as part of Sky Bet and British Heart Foundation’s mission to get 500,000 people to learn the lifesaving skill this February Heart Month (PA)

Cardiac arrest survivor Tom Lockyer has urged fans to learn lifesaving cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) as the EFL highlights the importance of immediate action by delaying every kick-off this weekend by a minute.

The 16-cap Wales international collapsed during Luton’s play-off final win against Coventry in May 2023 due to an atrial fibrillation that required surgery before being cleared to resume playing.

But seven months later his heart stopped on the pitch for nearly three minutes during a Premier League match at Bournemouth, where immediate CPR and defibrillation saved his life.

The 31-year-old returned to action last October back with Bristol Rovers, whose League Two match against Chesterfield on Saturday is among 36 EFL fixtures being moved 60 seconds to underline that every minute is vital.

Tom Lockyer captained Luton in the Premier League
Tom Lockyer captained Luton in the Premier League (Zac Goodwin/PA)

“It’s done very deliberately to highlight that every minute matters after a cardiac arrest,” Lockyer told the Press Association. “Every minute that passes without CPR and defibrillation, your chances of surviving decreases by 10 per cent.

“It’s brilliant to raise awareness, it strikes up conversation and, ultimately, it’s going to help us get more people trained up in learning CPR.”

The unusual kick-off times are part of the ‘Every Minute Matters’ campaign, which was launched by Sky Bet and the British Heart Foundation in 2024 to get more people CPR trained.

“There’s no point everyone just taking an extra minute in bed,” Lockyer said of the kick-off times. “We’re doing it for a reason. We want people learning CPR and once you’ve learned CPR we’re asking people to show your heart on social media.”

The campaign’s aim is to have reached a total of 500,000 fans by the end of February and Lockyer has underlined the importance of being prepared.

“It’s always ‘it’ll never happen to me’,” he said. “I was the exact same. This can happen to absolutely anybody at any time.

“I was at the peak of my fitness. I’ve had people reach out with 18-month-old babies who’ve had one, so it doesn’t discriminate and you need to be able to understand what’s happening first and foremost.

“You need to be able to step up in that situation and potentially save someone’s life because the minute someone goes into cardiac arrest if you don’t do anything, they’re going to die. Regardless.

“You might as well have a go of saving their life and 80 per cent of these will happen at home, so it’s going to be a family member, it’s going to be a loved one, it’ll be a relative maybe.

“So, what are you going to do? Are you just going to stand there and let them die, or you’re going to have a go? But if you’re going to have a go, would you rather have a go knowing what to do, or guessing what to do? I know which one I would choose.

“It’s not for yourself. The most selfless thing you can do is learning CPR because you can’t do CPR on yourself.

“You’re doing it for your loved ones, you do it potentially for a stranger. You’re doing it for someone else to give them a fighting chance at staying alive.”