Wembley Stadium stand renamed after woman who saved Luton Town fan's life
A stand at Wembley Stadium has been renamed in honour of a woman who saved the life of a Luton Town fan after he had a heart attack.
Hatters fan David Norman suffered a cardiac arrest in his car after the match against Reading FC in November 2022.
But Reading supporter Pippa Sharman, an off-duty police officer, leapt into action, carrying out CPR until the ambulance arrived.
David reunited with Pippa in April 2023, where he thanked her for saving his life, saying: “It's just one of those incredible things, it’s indescribable. There’s the person who saved my life.”
Now Pippa, and other fans with cardiac arrest stories, are being recognised by the British Heart Foundation, with Wembley Stadium temporarily renaming its stands in their honour.
The Pippa Sharman stand will be open this weekend for more than 200,000 fans to see as they watch the Sky Bet EFL Play-Offs.
Pippa said: “To have a stand at Wembley named after me is something I never could have imagined and feels incredibly emotional.
"What happened outside Luton that day was instinct. Dave needed help and I just did what I hoped anyone else would do in that moment.
"Knowing that story is now being used to encourage more people to learn CPR is hugely important to me because it shows that ordinary people really can save lives.”
The project is part of the charity’s Every Minute Matters campaign, which teaches football fans CPR skills.
Former Luton Town skipper Tom Lockyer, who had a cardiac arrest on the pitch in 2023, is now an Every Minute Matters ambassador, promoting the importance of CPR.
He said: “These stories are proof that ordinary people can make an extraordinary difference when every minute matters. Whether they survived a cardiac arrest or stepped forward to help someone else, each of these fans has shown incredible courage.”
Pippa added: “Surreal to see my name on the stand at the home of football. Even more so to be the only female on the entire planet to be able to say that!”