Why are the EFL play-off finals kicking off one minute…

Why are the EFL play-off finals kicking off one minute late?

Where dreams are made: There will be euphoria, tears and drama aplenty at Wembley in the EFL play-off finals this weekend - (The FA via Getty Images)

All three EFL play-off finals will have unique and unusual kick-off times across the Bank Holiday weekend at Wembley.

Sheffield United and Sunderland first met in Saturday’s Championship play-off final for a spot in the Premier League, with the match having kicked off at 3:01pm BST.

Monday’s League Two play-off final between AFC Wimbledon and Walsall is pencilled in for the same slot, with London rivals Charlton and Leyton Orient playing for the chance to step up to the Championship at 1:01pm on Sunday.

The same timings were also used in last season’s play-off finals as the EFL look to raise awareness for the ‘Every Minute Matters’ campaign, a partnership between Sky Bet and the British Heart Foundation which aims to encourage football supporters to learn CPR.

A statement released by the EFL reports that last season’s campaign saw over 270,000 football fans learn CPR via the British Heart Foundation’s online tool, RevivR. After the campaign’s successful launch, this season’s enrollment target has been increased to 360,000.

Luton’s Tom Lockyer is an ambassador of the Every Minute Matters campaign (Getty Images)

Luton captain and Wales international Tom Lockyer is an ambassador for the project after he collapsed with atrial fibrillation in the 2023 Championship play-off final between Luton and Coventry, which the Hatters went on to win after a penalty shootout. He then suffered a cardiac arrest during a Premier League match against Burnley later that year.

Lockyer 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.”