Charlton Athletic vs Leyton Orient play-off final change confirmed - It's never been done before | OneFootball

The time of Charlton Athletic and Leyton Orient's League One play-off final at Wembley has been altered.

Charlton Athletic and Leyton Orient are just one win away from Championship football as they prepare to face off at Wembley Stadium in the League One play-off final this Sunday. But fans tuning in might notice something unusual, with kick-off scheduled for 1:01 pm rather than the usual top-of-the-hour start.

The same can be said for the other two play-off finals across the weekend, with Sunderland and Sheffield United going head-to-head for Premier League promotion, while Walsall and Wimbledon clash for a place in League One next term.

EFL confirms timing change - Every minute matters

The reason for the change is far more than a quirk. The EFL has again partnered with the British Heart Foundation for the 'Every Minute Matters' campaign, an initiative to raise awareness around the importance of CPR.

The EFL introduced the one-minute delay during last year's play-offs, while over 270,000 fans took part in CPR training via the foundation's online RevivR tool. This year, the target has been upped to 360,000 learners.

Luton Town captain Tom Lockyer is a key ambassador for the campaign, having collapsed in the 2023 play-off final, as his side went on to beat Coventry on penalties.

Lockyer later suffered a cardiac arrest during Luton's Premier League clash against Bournemouth and was saved by the swift actions of medical staff who administered CPR.

"I was just one of the more than 30,000 people who suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest every year in the UK," said Lockyer, speaking to The Standard. "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.”

High stakes at Wembley for Charlton and Leyton Orient

With the Championship just a step away for both sides, Charlton and Orient will be desperate to make the most of their opportunity at England's national stadium.

For Charlton, the chance is there to return to the second tier after being relegated to League One in 2020 following just a single term in the second tier. They experienced play-off joy just a year prior, as Patrick Bauer netted a late winner to see off Sunderland.

For Orient, it is a chance to cap a remarkable rise under their current regime after prior years of instability.

However, as with last year, the message ahead of this weekend's set of play-off finals is that 'Every Minute Matters'.