Football fans in Manchester will tell you the city is red or blue depending on where their allegiances lie.

But now Asda Eastlands’ store near City’s Etihad Stadium has introduced a unique Santa suit with both colours in a bid to keep rival United and City supporters happy when they pop in to do their shopping.

The half-and-half in-store Father Christmas is being introduced over the festive season and will be on hand for selfies and to greet sports-loving youngsters.

And when people pop in they can ask Santa to turn to one side while posing with them against a special selfie wall so they can get the perfect pic to help support their team.

The new two-tone outfit has been introduced after complaints by some Blues supporters visiting on match days who couldn’t bear to be snapped with a traditionally red St Nick.

Asda’s Santa supervisor, Dan “North” Pole, said: “More often than not people coming in to the store with their children on their way to Eastlands would joke that they couldn’t possibly be pictured with a red-suited Santa.

“With this in mind and as a bit of banter we’ve introduced these unique half-and-half Father suits that Father Christmas will wear in the Manchester store with the aim is to keep everyone happy, regardless of their preferred colour or sporting allegiances.”

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The unique Santa suits have been specially made by George at Asda - the supermarket’s own-brand fashion label - so that one half is blue and the other half the traditional Father Christmas red. If the trial is popular with customers, the national supermarket chain’s bosses say they could introduce half-and-half Father Christmases at other stores around the country, and even around the world.

Dan said: “We have also now introduced an Everton royal-blue and red Santa at Liverpool’s Asda Sefton Park superstore. And if the scheme is a success we’re looking at maybe rolling it out to other cities – including Bristol, Sheffield and Cardiff."