MANCHESTER UNITED confirmed yesterday they are to scrap the grey change strip - ditched halfway through their weekend defeat at Southampton - after less than a season. United have lost four and drawn one of the five games in which it has been worn, and switched to their blue and white third kit during the interval at The Dell on Saturday.

Thousands of parents bought the Umbro manufactured grey shirts priced £29.99 and £39.99 - for their children but the club announced at a news conference yesterday that they would be dropped immediately with a new white strip introduced next season.

Manager Alex Ferguson said after the Southampton game that his players had complained for much of the season that they had difficulty identifying each other in the grey kit. Club chairman and chief executive Martin Edwards explained: "Both Manchester United and Umbro wanted to react to this issue and have decided that as from the end of this season the club will no longer wear the grey kit.

"This is a decision made after taking the recent problems into account. From next season we will register a white shirt as our change jersey. That will be worn with the home shorts and change white socks.

"As a gesture to our supporters, there will be a £10 reduction on the price of this jersey. We wanted to deal with the issue as a matter of urgency and we have put the football team first, but have also given careful consideration to our own supporters."

Ferguson denied that superstition had played a part in the decision.