The Russell Martin Foundation is delighted to welcome Ben Howlett as Director of Football and Steve Winterburn as Facilities Manager, bringing a wealth of experience from professional football to the Foundation.The two appointments come at an exciting time for RMF, as we continue to develop our football provision and facilities across Sussex.

Ben brings more than a decade of experience across football and sport, having started his career as a casual coach with Saints Foundation alongside his university studies.

He went on to work with West Ham United Foundation, Chelsea Foundation and Chelsea Football Club, gaining experience across community football, education, international programmes and football development. Most recently, Ben was Operations Lead within Chelsea FC Soccer Schools, overseeing the central operations supporting football development programmes across the South East. Alongside his leadership and operational experience, Ben is a UEFA B Licence coach and also holds qualifications in talent identification and school sport.

As RMF’s new Director of Football, Ben will provide leadership and direction across the Foundation’s football programmes, working closely with head of RMA, coaches,  and external partners. His focus will be on creating a more connected football offer   from schools and free football through to Saturday Soccer, the RMA pathway, performance and post-16 opportunities.

Ben has identified four key priorities for the future: participation, pathways, places and performance. This includes widening access to football, creating clearer opportunities for young people to progress, investing in coaches and staff, and maximising facilities including Hove Park and the development of Old Barn Way.

Ben said:

“I’m incredibly excited and proud to be joining the Russell Martin Foundation as Director of Football. I’ve been really impressed by the ambition of the Foundation, and the opportunity football has to create a wider impact across the community. “I’m looking forward to building on the strong foundations already in place, working with the team to develop a clear and connected pathway for players and creating an environment where our players, coaches and wider community can thrive.”

Steve joins RMF following an impressive 25-year career with Brighton & Hove Albion FC, where he worked as Pitch & Grounds Manager before retiring from his position in August.

His career in the industry began on golf courses before moving into private schools and then the University of Sussex, where he worked as Head Groundsman.

At Brighton & Hove Albion, Steve was responsible for managing the pitches at the Amex Stadium and the club’s training ground, overseeing a large-scale operation encompassing 18 natural grass pitches and several 3G surfaces.

Career highlights included moving into both the Amex Stadium and the club’s new training facility, as well as being part of the club during its promotion to the Premier League.

Having known RMF CEO Alan Sanders for many years through football, Steve saw joining the Foundation as an opportunity to use his considerable experience to support grassroots football across Sussex.

In his new role, Steve will oversee maintenance at the Hove Park 3G facility, as well as helping to plan and prepare for the Foundation’s new pitch and facility at Old Barn Way in Southwick.

Steve said:

“I’m looking forward to bringing my experience to RMF and helping the Foundation move forward with its pitches and facilities. I want to ensure they provide a really good standard for all our RMA teams and other users, while continuing to support football provision across Sussex through the Foundation’s work.”

Alan Sanders (CEO) said, ‘RMF has grown considerably since it started 10 years ago and with that has come the need to employ staff who are both talented and experienced enough to help the organisation grow further. Ben and Steve are fantastic additions to RMF and we count ourselves very fortunate that both were keen to join us and to share our vision. In the football world they would be seen as two major signings!’

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