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Edinburgh Football Fashion Brand Targets Growth



Edinburgh-based football apparel brand Universal Language has credited Business Gateway support with reshaping its commercial foundations as it prepares for its busiest period of trading since launching in December 2024.


Founded by school friends Chris Aitchison and Pete Burt, the brand produces high-quality, fan-focused clothing inspired by Scottish football culture. Chris brings commercial and marketing expertise built across years running his own agency, while Pete spent more than eight years as a designer in professional football, working for Hibernian and Tottenham Hotspur before returning to Edinburgh to build something made with a clear focus on the fans.


The idea first came to Chris while looking for a Hearts gift for his father. Searching online for football memorabilia, he couldn't find anything of suitable quality or true sense of the club and its culture. Seeing the gap, Chris brought it to Pete, and the pair set out to build a brand around what they felt was missing: products that celebrated a club's identity properly, rather than just its badge.


All products are designed in Edinburgh and printed or embroidered in the UK using sustainably produced garments. The range balances a permanent core collection with limited edition drops, allowing the brand to mark specific moments, clubs and cultural references while keeping its best-loved designs in circulation.


Current collections focus on Hearts, Hibernian and an expanding Scotland national team range, with plans to grow into further clubs and collaborations. The brand has also recently taken its products on the road with the opening of a special of pop-up shop, timed to coincide with the World Cup.


Since launching, Universal Language has reached more than 3,000 customers, sold 5,000 products and generated 1.5 million monthly social media views. The brand has also raised more than £2,500 for MND Scotland, its charity partner, through sales of an official Marius Zaliukas tribute t-shirt.


The Edinburgh Business Gateway team has worked closely with Chris and Pete to assess and restructure the business, reviewing its brand communication strategy and aligning every element behind a single commercial goal. The Business Gateway team extended that support to include specialist IP guidance, with an arranged session involving the Intellectual Property Office helping clarify trademark and copyright processes. Universal Language has since moved to trademark its brand and copyright its designs, protecting its assets as it looks ahead to the next stages of growth.


Pitch preparation sessions followed, opening connections with the potential to create new opportunities for the business, while Chris has also attended several Business Gateway workshops to expand the team’s knowledge in a range of key areas.


Julie Batten, Business Gateway adviser, said:

“Universal Language is a strong example of what happens when a genuine idea is backed by sound business thinking. Chris and Pete came to us with real momentum and connection to their audience. Our role was to help them build the right structure around it, from strategy to brand protection, so the business can grow on solid ground.”

Chris Aitchison, co-founder of Universal Language said:

“The support from Business Gateway came at exactly the right time. Sitting down and properly reviewing the strategy gave us a solid foundation and the confidence to continue growing the business, knowing we are headed in the right direction."

“The IP guidance has been equally important. As the brand grows, protecting what we've created matters more and more. We're genuinely grateful for the help getting that right.”

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  • Feb 20, 2025
  • 5 min read

A new study has identified which Premier League stadium is the best for fans, with Anfield taking the top spot. The study, conducted by sports betting and casino experts FIRST.com, looked at five factors, including the price of a season ticket, the percentage of five-star Google reviews, and the price of a pint, and assigned each Premier League stadium a score out of 100 to determine which are the best for fans.


Anfield is the best Premier League stadium for fans, with an index score of 75.77 out of 100. Home to Liverpool, the stadium has a capacity of 61,276 and boasts 87% of Google reviews with a five-star rating, with 33 pubs within 1km of the venue. The average price of a season ticket here is £816.10, while a pint is £4.40.


Following in second is the home of Liverpool’s big rivals Manchester United. Old Trafford has an index score of 73.01 out of 100. The famous old stadium holds up to 74,310 punters and 81% of Google reviews rated the venue five stars.


A season ticket at Old Trafford is an average of £798, with a pint costing £3, and 11 pubs located within 1km of the stadium.


The GTech Community Stadium ranks third, with an index score of 71.93 out of 100. The stadium, which is home to Brentford, has a capacity of 17,250 visitors and was found to have 76% of its Google reviews rated five stars.


A season ticket costs an average of £553.33 and a pint at the venue will set visitors back £4. For those interested in grabbing a drink before or after the game, there are 14 pubs within 1km of the stadium.


The City Ground is placed fourth, with an index score of 68.38 out of 100. Home to Nottingham Forest, the stadium has a capacity of 30,404 and 81% of Google reviews rated it five stars.


A season ticket will cost an average of £667.50 for fans, with a pint costing £5.20. There are also 11 pubs within 1km of the stadium.


Rounding out the top five is Molineux, with an index score of 67.82 out of 100. Home to Wolves, it has a capacity of 31,750 visitors, with 76% of Google reviews rated as five stars.


The club charge an average of £774.86 per season ticket, and a pint will cost fans £4. Within 1km of the stadium, there are 29 pubs for those interested in a pre or post-game drink.


The top 10 Premier League stadiums for fans:

Rank

Football Stadium

Football Club

Index Score (out of 100)

1

Anfield

Liverpool

75.77

2

Old Trafford

Manchester United

73.02

3

GTech Community Stadium

Brentford

71.93

4

City Ground

Nottingham Forest

68.38

5

Molineux

Wolves

67.82

6

St. James' Park

Newcastle

64.43

7

Portman Road

Ipswich

60.00

8

Selhurst Park

Crystal Palace

59.79

9

Etihad Stadium

Manchester City

55.60

10

King Power Stadium

Leicester City

52.18

Ranking sixth is St James’ Park, with an index score of 64.43 out of 100. Home to Newcastle, the stadium has a capacity of 52,305 and 78% of Google reviews are rated as five stars.


A season ticket will cost fans an average of £812 with a pint costing £4.90. As well as this, there are an incredible 106 pubs within 1km of the stadium.


Portman Road ranks seventh, with an index score of 60.00 out of 100. Home of Ipswich, it has a capacity of 29,673, and 70% of Google reviews are five stars. The average price of a season ticket is £530.93, and a pint costs £3.50. Within 1km of Portman Road, there are 30 pubs.


Selhurst Park is placed eighth, with an index score of 59.79 out of 100. Home to Crystal Palace, the stadium has a capacity of 25,486, and 73.06% of Google reviews are five stars.


A season ticket here will cost fans £622 on average, with the cost of a pint being £5. Within 1km, there are eight pubs situated by Selhurst Park.


The Etihad Stadium comes in ninth, with an index score of 55.60 out of 100. Home to champions Manchester City, it has a capacity of 53,400 and 77% of Google reviews are five stars. They charge an average of £848.75 per season ticket and a pint will cost fans £4.60. There are six pubs to choose from within 1km of the stadium.


The King Power Stadium is tenth, with an index score of 52.18 out of 100. Home to Leicester, this stadium has a capacity of 32,262 visitors. 74% of Google reviews are five stars, and season tickets are priced at an average of £628.07 for fans. A pint costs £5.80, and within 1km from the stadium there are seven pubs.


The bottom three Premier League stadiums for fans:


London Stadium ranked as the worst Premier League stadium for football supporters with an index score of 18.94 out of 100. Home to West Ham, the stadium scored 4.4 out of 5 on Google and just 64% of reviews were rated five stars.


The club charges an average of £946.25 per season ticket, a pint will cost fans a rather pricey £6.30, and there are only 10 pubs within 1km of the stadium.


Ranking second from the bottom is Craven Cottage, with an index score of 27.83 out of 100. Home of Fulham, the London-based stadium only has 71% of Google reviews rating it five stars.


A season ticket here will set you back an average of £1,230.77, with a pint at the venue costing £5.50. There are 11 pubs within 1km of the stadium.


Rounding out the bottom three is the Emirates Stadium with an index score of 31.77 out of 100. Arsenal’s home ground recorded 76% of Google reviews rated as five stars and an average rating of 4.6 out of 5.


The club charge an eyewatering £1,394.47 per season ticket on average, a pint will cost fans £6.30, but within 1km of the stadium, there are 36 pubs.


Speaking on the findings, Ekaterina Boboleva, CEO of FIRST.com said, “Each club's unique combination of these factors can highlight where they place emphasis: A club with high Google ratings but high costs might focus on premium experiences, while clubs with affordable ticket and pint prices may prioritise accessibility for the average fan, and proximity to pubs shows whether clubs cater to convenience and pre/post-match culture."


“This analysis shows the importance of the fan journey—not just the 90 minutes on the pitch but the broader context of attending a match. It paints a picture of what makes football a communal, accessible, and enjoyable spectacle across the Premier League.”

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