This is when the Sunderland v Sheffield United Championship play-off final gets underway

Sunderland’s Championship play-off final against Sheffield United is to kick off a minute later than originally planned to raise awareness for the British Heart Foundation’s “Every Minute Matters” campaign, it has been announced.

The Black Cats travel to Wembley on Saturday afternoon to face Chris Wilder’s Blades, with a place in the Premier League at stake. But proceedings will get underway at a slightly delayed time in an effort to highlight the importance of learning CPR and equipping people with potentially life-saving skills.

Alongside the Championship play-off final, both the League One and League Two play-off finals, which take place on Sunday and Monday respectively, will also kick off one minute later than originally stated.

The full list of kick-off times is now as follows:

• Championship Play-Off Final – Saturday, 24 May 2025 – 15.01
• League One Play-Off Final – Sunday, 25 May 2025 – 13:01
• League Two Play-Off Final – Monday, 26 May 2025 – 15:01

What is the “Every Minute Matters” campaign?

As outlined in an official statement from the EFL: “The unique kick-off times are designed to raise awareness of the ‘Every Minute Matters’ campaign, a collaboration between Sky Bet and the British Heart Foundation, which aims to inspire supporters to learn CPR, equipping them with vital skills that could help them save someone’s life.

“Launching at last season’s Play-Offs, Every Minute Matters has already surpassed the initial target of encouraging 270,000 people - three times the capacity of Wembley Stadium - to learn CPR. Now, the campaign is aiming to go further by encouraging 360,000 people to use the British Heart Foundation’s online RevivR tool and to start learning the lifesaving technique by the time the Play-Off Finals come round.”

What has been said about the “Every Minute Matters” campaign?

EFL Chief Executive Officer, Trevor Birch said: “The Sky Bet Play-Offs are a special moment in the football calendar and tens of thousands of supporters will be at Wembley Stadium across the weekend with millions more tuning in from home. By kicking off all three Play-Off Finals one minute later, Every Minute Matters continues to harness the power and visibility of football to encourage even more people to learn CPR, which could ultimately help to save even more lives.”

Luton Town defender and BHF ambassador Tom Lockyer, who himself suffered a cardiac arrest during a match in December 2023 said: “I was just one of the more than 30,000 people who suffer an out of hospital cardiac arrest every year in the UK. I am lucky to be alive today, but the reality is that less than 1 in 10 people usually survive, which is why it’s vital that we continue to raise awareness. The symbolic kick off times are the perfect way to make our lifesaving message impossible to ignore.

“Over the course of the last year, the EFL community – fans, players and the clubs – have come together and united behind the Sky Bet Every Minute Matters campaign to achieve something I never thought possible. And now, as we approach the business end of the season, the Sky Bet Play-Off Finals provide an incredible platform to continue to spread the word and bring the curtain down on a game changing year in the fight against cardiac arrest."

To access BHF’s free, simple and easy-to-use online tool, RevivR, search “BHF RevivR” or visit revivr.bhf.org.uk/efl