Town welcome football fan Tango following defibrillator rollout

We proudly welcomed football fan Paul Gregory and his wife Rachel to the Croud Meadow on Saturday.

Paul – who is affectionately known as Tango – launched the One in Every Corner campaign, with whom we joined forces back in May and took delivery of four new community defibrillators.

The campaign aims to have a defibrillator in every corner of every football ground across the Premier League and Football League.

Working in conjunction with the Red Sky Foundation, Paul launched the initiative to save lives following the tragic death of his daughter Lauren, aged just 29.

Shrewsbury Town is proud to have installed the defibrillators at the Croud Meadow to ensure fans and visitors now have the best possible chance of surviving a cardiac arrest.

Speaking when the defibrillators were installed, Liam Dooley, Shrewsbury Town chief executive, said: “Tango is somebody I know well, and I think it’s amazing the work he is doing to ensure defibrillators are stationed around the corners of all stadiums.

“In memory of his daughter Lauren, he is doing everything he can to save lives and we are proud to be part of this campaign and to be raising awareness of what he is working to achieve.

“It has been a pleasure working with him and the amazing Red Sky Foundation, who are continuing to provide wonderful support to Tango for his campaign.

"The defibrillators that have been installed will be invaluable, not only on match days but also to the general public of Shrewsbury.

“I hope other clubs contact Red Sky Foundation and look to have defibrillators installed throughout their stadiums.”

Since its formation in 2020, Red Sky Foundation has placed over 800 defibrillators into communities, schools, and grassroots organisations.

The initiative continues to gain momentum, with growing support from football fans across the EFL and Premier League.

Paul and Rachel's campaign, ‘Lauren’s Legacy’, was inspired by his daughter, Lauren Walker, who tragically passed away in 2023.

Having previously suffered a cardiac arrest and been successfully revived thanks to a defibrillator, Lauren’s story highlights the importance of accessible life-saving equipment at football grounds.

Mr Gregory said: “Lauren was my princess. She was everything to me. I knew I needed to do something to keep her memory alive.

“This campaign will save lives and ensure she is never forgotten.”

Despite common misconceptions, not all 92 clubs in the English Football League have defibrillators available in key locations.

Red Sky Foundation’s Sergio Petrucci MBE said: “Cardiac arrests are unfortunately happening more and more often. 

“We want to give people the best chance of survival because the stats show that only one in 10 people survive a cardiac arrest.

“Every second truly counts, and having defibrillators available in every corner of football grounds will make a crucial difference for fans in and around the stadiums.”

To support the ‘One in Every Corner’ campaign, fans can make a donation via laurenslegacy.redskyfoundation.com.

For those looking to learn CPR for free, visit: https://redskyfoundation.com/laurens-legacy/