Premier League announced in June it would work with the Football Association and Football Foundation to fund defibrillators at more than 2,000 facilities; English referee Anthony Taylor, who was in charge when Christian Eriksen, attends installation at National League side Altrincham.
Referee Anthony Taylor has encouraged grassroots clubs to take advantage of a Premier League initiative which is providing access to Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs).
The Premier League, in partnership with the Football Association and Football Foundation, announced in June they would fund defibrillators at more than 2,000 facilities.
The funding was revealed two weeks after Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen suffered a heart attack on the pitch at Euro 2020.
Premier League referee Taylor was in charge of Denmark’s fixture with Finland when Eriksen was given life-saving treatment and he says the initiative is an important measure in ensuring people’s welfare.
“It’s really important that we get that message out, not just within football and sport but equally within the local community how important these units can be in saving somebody’s life,” Taylor told Sky Sports News at the installation of an AED at National League club Altrincham.
Initially, the defibrillator fund initiative aids facilities it supports which do not have a life-saving device on site, while the second phase enables grassroots clubs that own their own facilities to apply for funding for a defibrillator.
Taylor added: “The facilities at lower league and grassroots football isn’t as big as at the elite level of the game.
“The provision of the units and also the education for people how to use them can make a significant difference when it comes to saving somebody’s life.”
Taylor received widespread praise for his handling of the Eriksen incident, moving to stop play within seconds of Inter Milan’s Eriksen collapsing during the first half of the match in Copenhagen.
“The true heroes in that situation were not only the medical staff who performed the compressions and the defibrillations but also Denmark captain Simon Kjaer who actually started the chest compressions while I was calling on the medical teams,” he said.
Once installed, the AEDs will be accessible, if required, to an estimated 1.5million people who use these facilities per season.
“I think people probably underestimate how simple it could be to use,” Taylor added.
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