Replay Maintenance has announced the launch of a new Natural Turf division, marking a significant expansion of the company’s service offering and reinforcing its long-term commitment to supporting grassroots and community sport.
The move is supported by the appointment of Ben Sadler as Head of Natural Turf, bringing more than 25 years of hands-on and strategic experience in sports turf management to the business.
Best known as a nationwide provider of synthetic surface maintenance and refurbishment, Replay Maintenance has spent the last two decades working closely with clubs, local authorities and governing bodies.
The introduction of a Natural Turf division enables the company to offer a more comprehensive, joined-up service for sites operating both synthetic and natural grass pitches.
Ben’s career spans golf, sports turf contracting and grassroots football, combining practical expertise with a deep understanding of funding, education and long-term pitch improvement. He began his career working on a local golf course in the Midlands before moving into a fast-growing lawn care business, where he played a key role in scaling the operation from a start-up into a medium-sized company.
“I fell in love with the industry early on, but I was keen to understand the business side as well as the practical side,” said Ben. “Being involved in everything from marketing and sales through to training and operations gave me a really solid foundation.”
More recently, Ben held a technical role focused on grassroots football pitches across Leicestershire, working closely with County FA partners and the Football Foundation. During this time, he supported between 200 and 300 pitches across 40–50 sites, guiding clubs through funding applications, developing schedules of work and delivering on-the-ground improvements.
“There was a lot of education involved, helping clubs understand why certain practices mattered and how they could create a better environment for people to play football,” he explained.
Ben said the opportunity to join Replay Maintenance and build a new division from the ground up was one he couldn’t ignore. “It’s a really exciting opportunity to come in with almost a blank page and work alongside people with so much experience. The ambition is to grow initially across the East Midlands and then expand further as the offer develops.”
As Head of Natural Turf, Ben will lead a programme focused on core maintenance services such as aeration, seeding, fertilising, weed control and top dressing. While the initial emphasis will be on grassroots football, the division will also support rugby, cricket outfields and other natural turf facilities.
“For clubs that don’t have the time, equipment or expertise, we can take that burden away,” said Ben. “For Replay, it means becoming a genuine one-stop shop – looking after both synthetic surfaces and natural turf on the same site.”
Matt Bartle, Group Head of Commercial Strategy at Replay Maintenance, said the launch of the division was a natural progression for the business.
“We’re already a nationwide service provider on the synthetic side, and when the opportunity arose to bring someone of Ben’s calibre into the organisation, it made complete sense to look at natural turf,” said Matt. “It allows us to better support our existing partners and improve footfall and performance across all their pitches.”
Matt added that Ben’s background was a key factor in the decision. “You have to invest in the foundations if you want to get the offer right. Ben came highly recommended, and it quickly became clear that he was the right person to lead this.”
Initially, the Natural Turf division will focus on Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. However, Matt confirmed that longer-term ambitions are firmly nationwide.
“We’ll spend the next 12 months refining the offer, learning and working closely with partners,” he said. “We’ve built a strong reputation in the industry, and by bringing the right people in, we’re confident this division will grow to meet demand in the years ahead.”
For more information, visit www.replaymaintenance.co.uk
