BRIGHTON-based entrepreneur Ryk Waters has turned his interest in amateur football into an international business in the space of two years.

His company TeamPro provides a unique resource, a free online team sheet tool that aims to let everyone share the same experiences as Premier League footballers.

In 2014 Ryk took over the management of Sussex Sunday League team Kemptown FC and wanted a way of producing a professional team sheet.

Finding nothing suitable on the internet, he made use of his background in web design and created a programme that allowed him to email through photo team sheets to his players in advance of games.

Managers and players from other teams starting asking about the team sheets and Ryk realised that he had the germ of a business idea.

Fast forward to 2016 and TeamPro is run by Ryk with a team of freelance students and interns with a client base of 2000 clubs and 9,000 players throughout the UK and nearly every country across the globe.

The product now offers photo and video team sheets, automated squad management through email and text messaging and a place for managers and players to keep track of all appearances, goals and assists stats.

Ryk said: "I had no intention of this becoming a business opportunity but I’ve been amazed at how fast the company has grown.

"We are getting around 700 new teams a month and that is purely through word of mouth.

"We support a range of sports - football, futsal rugby, cricket, netball, American Football and Ultimate Frisbee. Notable local teams include Shoreham FC (Football), Hassocks Hurricanes (Cricket) and Brighton City (Ultimate Frisbee)."

Like all online businesses Ryk had to find a way to generate revenue from what is essentially a free service. He hit on the idea of selling sponsorship space on the top corner of the individual team sheet which can get 500 views.

Ryk moved into the Barclays Eagle Lab in Preston Circus in June.

He said: "The Eagle Lab is an ideal location for me. I have tried working from home but I flourish in a creative environment.

"What is good about the lab is that there is always something going on and I enjoy the random conversations that you might have with a designer who has popped in to use the 3D printer, I love bouncing ideas off other innovators."

A chance encounter at the Eagle Lab with a videographer from the National Ultimate Frisbee tournament provided an opportunity for the business to support professional sports for the first time.

The videographer was at a meeting at the Lab and noticed what Ryk was working on. They got into conversation and as a result TeamPro provided team sheets and general support for the recent National Ultimate Frisbee tournament.

Team Pro has ambitious plans for the future with planned improvements to the site to allow every club to have their own rolling sports news channel.

With all of the latest squad, team, fixture, result and rumour news ticking across the screen along with images, videos and highlights.