'Muamba' deal deadline nears

Evo-Stik Northern Premier League clubs hoping to purchase heavily subsidised defibrillators thanks to the new partnership between the Football Association and the British Heart Foundation have only days left to beat the deadline for applications.

The Evo-Stik NPL called the FA's decision in March to subsidise the costs of defibrillators in Non-League a 'massive step' forward and clubs only have until next Tuesday [April 30] to take advantage.

A year on from the collapse and recovery of Fabrice Muamba, the FA and BHA set up the £1.2m Defibrillator Fund to underwrite two thirds of the cost of the equipment and provide life-saving training to thousands of fans, officials and players.

In a unique partnership, more than 900 defibrillators are being made available to clubs at Steps 1 to 6 of the National League System and teams in the FA Women's Super League to help save the lives of cardiac arrest casualties.

Instead of paying around £1000 for a defibrillator, the initiative will see clubs pay just £318, including VAT, knocking two thirds off the cost. Application packs went out to the Evo-Stik NPL's 66 members clubs last month.

Before the start of the current campaign, the Evo-Stik NPL launched its own initiative to encourage clubs to purchase defibrillators and, along with other leagues in the Pyramid and Football Alliance, lobbied the FA for direct action.

Awareness around sudden cardiac arrests was heightened after former England Under-21 star Muamba suffered a cardiac arrest in the Tottenham Hotspur versus Bolton Wanderers FA Cup tie on March 17 last year.