Football's oldest rivalry united in unique half and half shirt

A supermarket in a disputed border town has attempted to unite football’s oldest rivalry with a half-and-half England and Scotland football top.

Berwick-upon-Tweed officially sits in England, with the Scottish border just 4km away, and has changed hands between the two nations 13 times.

Staff at The Food Warehouse are embracing the town’s heritage by wearing specially designed split England-and-Scotland shirts as part of a summer football celebration.

The half-white and half-navy kits have been created at the store ahead of a special event on Thursday, May 28, just days before the summer football action kicks off.

Berwick-upon-Tweed was one of the most strategically important towns in medieval Britain, with English and Scottish armies battling for control of its wealthy port for centuries.

However, the kit may not go down well with the rest of the nation, given the over 150 years of football rivalry between the two teams, which is the oldest international football fixture.

Despite this, the supermarket says the idea was inspired by the town’s history and the mix of both Scottish and English staff working in the store.

“On a matchday in Berwick, you’re just as likely to hear Flower of Scotland in one aisle as Three Lions in the next, so we thought it was only right to support both this summer,” Peter Wilson, store manager at The Food Warehouse Berwick-upon-Tweed, said.

“We serve customers from England and Scotland every single day, and because we’re only a few minutes from the border you get a real mix of loyalties coming through the doors.

“The town has spent centuries switching between the two countries, so the half-and-half shirts felt like the perfect way to celebrate that unique history and have a bit of fun with it this summer.”