Fan whose life was saved gets Wembley honour
· Yahoo Sports
A football fan who had a cardiac arrest as he celebrated his team scoring has been honoured by having a Wembley stand named after him.
Andy Wall, 45, from Poringland, Norfolk, had been watching Norwich City play Hull City at Carrow Road on 5 August 2023 and required cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) after his heart stopped for more than 10 minutes.
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In a campaign for more people to learn CPR, a stand at Wembley Stadium will be temporarily named in his honour during the English Football League (EFL) play-offs on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
He said: "To be recognised in this way at a stadium as iconic as Wembley is something I'm enormously proud of and never expected."
After the incident, Wall, whose life was saved by stewards and paramedics, said without people knowing how to perform CPR and use a defibrillator, he "would not be here today".
He is one of four football fans being honoured at Wembley.
All have either had a cardiac arrest – when the heart suddenly stops – or have helped someone who has.
On the honour, Wall said: "Football has always been a huge part of my life, and since my cardiac arrest I have been on a mission to get more people to know CPR.
"The people who helped me that day gave me a chance to keep making memories with my loved ones. It's been a long road to recovery, not just for me but for my family, who went through everything with me.
"If sharing my story encourages supporters across the country to learn CPR, then that would be the greatest legacy of all."
Tom Lockyer (left) said seeing fans who had also been affected by cardiac arrests was "incredibly emotional" [The Sky Bet & BHF Every Minute Matters Campaign]The scheme is part of the Sky Bet and British Heart Foundation Every Minute Matters initiative, supported by the EFL, to highlight how swift action can save a life.
It is being supported by Tom Lockyer, who was fitted with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator after he suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch while captaining Luton Town in a Premier League match against Bournemouth in December 2023.
He 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... I know first-hand how important immediate CPR and quick action can be."
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