Wembley Stands Named To Honour Fans With Inspiring Cardiac Arrest Stories

Wembley Stadium’s stands are to be temporarily named in honour of four football fans with extraordinary stories of survival and courage as the Sky Bet EFL Play-Offs mark 40 years of the competition.

Aiming to inspire football fans to learn the lifesaving skill of CPR, the four temporary stand names will be seen by around 200,000 fans attending the 40th Sky Bet EFL Play-Offs between 23 and 25 May, as well as millions more watching live on Sky Sports.

Each year in the UK, more than 40,000 people suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, with less than one in 10 surviving.

In a powerful and emotional reminder of the fans, friends and families behind the statistics, giant signage stretching across Wembley Stadium will display the names of four supporters, three of whom would not be here today without those who acted quickly using CPR.

– The Callum Lawson Stand, named after a Sunderland fan who survived a cardiac arrest during last year’s Championship Play-Off Final

– The Pippa Sharman Stand, recognising a Reading fan who helped to save the life of an opposition supporter when they had collapsed at the wheel of their car after a game

– The Andy Wall Stand, after a Norwich City fan who had a cardiac arrest moments before the half-time whistle whilst watching the Canaries and fortunately survived

– The Ed McCann Stand, named after a Bradford City fan who survived a cardiac arrest with the help of a Burnley supporter who performed CPR

The stand naming is part of Sky Bet and the BHF’s groundbreaking Every Minute Matters initiative, supported by the EFL, which also saw the kick-off at last year’s Play-Off Finals rescheduled to one minute past the hour to highlight how every minute really does matter when it comes to saving a life.

To date, Every Minute Matters has encouraged over half a million fans to start learning CPR through the BHF’s free RevivR tool. 

Every Minute Matters ambassador Tom Lockyer, who collapsed on the pitch during Luton Town’s Play-Off Final victory at Wembley in 2023, and is fitted with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), has been supporting the Every Minute Matters campaign’s mission since its launch in 2024 to encourage more football fans and communities to learn CPR and gain the confidence to step forward in an emergency.

Lockyer, said: “Wembley will always hold huge meaning for me, so to see fans being celebrated who have been through similar experiences to myself is incredibly emotional and special.

“After experiencing a cardiac arrest, I know first-hand how important immediate CPR and quick action can be. The four people having stands named after them are truly incredible.

“Whether they survived a cardiac arrest themselves or stepped forward to help save somebody else’s life, they’ve shown extraordinary courage and strength.

“Football has an unbelievable power to bring people together and over the last two years we’ve seen clubs, players and fans unite behind a cause that genuinely saves lives.

“These stories are proof that ordinary people can make an extraordinary difference when every minute matters. The fact that 520,000 people have now started learning CPR through Every Minute Matters is something everyone involved in the campaign should be proud of.”

Fans can show their support and learn CPR in just 15-minutes: Search BHF RevivR and / or visit revivr.bhf.org.uk

Images: Sky Bet & British Heart Foundation Every Minute Matters Campaign