Reason why 12 League Two matches have had kick-off times changed this weekend | Football | Sport

3 hours agoLast Updated: 7 February، 2026

The one-minute delay: All 72 EFL clubs are delaying kick-offs by 60 seconds this weekend. This symbolic pause highlights that when someone suffers a cardiac arrest, every single minute is a critical window for life-saving action.
League Two opener: While the campaign officially began with Accrington Stanley vs Salford City on Thursday night, the Saturday action features two early 12:31 pm starts at Crawley Town and Swindon Town.
A powerful partnership: This is the centrepiece of the “Every Minute Matters” campaign, a collaboration between Sky Bet and the British Heart Foundation, aiming to revolutionise how the public responds to heart emergencies.
Heart Month: Timing the initiative with February’s “Heart Month” ensures cardiovascular health stays at the forefront of the public’s mind.
Training targets: The goal is for 500,000 people to start learning CPR by the end of February. Over 450,000 have already begun their training since the May 2024 launch.
Accessible learning: Fans are encouraged to use “RevivR,” the BHF’s free online tool that teaches CPR in just 15 minutes using a smartphone.
Tom Lockyer’s role: Fronted by the player who survived an on-pitch cardiac arrest, the campaign serves as a reminder that rapid intervention is the reason he is here today.
Survival statistics: With 40,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the UK annually, survival chances drop by up to 10% for every minute without CPR or defibrillation.