Why the Championship play-off final kick-off time has been moved
Sheffield United and Sunderland meet at Wembley Stadium in the Championship play-off final
Wembley Stadium hosts the Championship play-off final today
(Image: Mark Kerrison )
Sheffield United and Sunderland lock horns in the Championship play-off final on Saturday afternoon.
The two teams will face off against each other under the famous Wembley arch for a place in the Premier League and all the riches that entails.
The Blades will be smarting that they missed out on an automatic promotion place to Leeds United and Burnley but have the perfect opportunity to address that this afternoon against the Black Cats.
One thing to note is that the traditional 3pm kick-off time has been moved forward a minute, with the game scheduled to officially get under way at 3.01pm.
The League One and League Two finals, scheduled to take place on Sunday and Monday respectively, are also kicking off 60 seconds later, at 1.01pm.
The reason is because the EFL are looking to raise awareness for the 'Every Minute Matters' campaign, which aims to encourage football fans to learn CPR.
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Wales international Tom Lockyer is an ambassador for the project after the defender collapsed with atrial fibrillation in the 2023 Championship play-off final between his club Luton Town and Coventry City.
He 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."
The dates and times in full
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Championship: Sheffield United vs Sunderland, Saturday, May 24, 3:01pm
League One: Charlton vs Leyton Orient, Sunday, May 25, 1:01pm
League Two: AFC Wimbledon vs Walsall, Monday, May 26, 3:01pm
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