Newcastle United officially launched their home shirt for the 2019/2020 season, and it has received a very mixed reaction from fans.
The club’s claim that it is a tribute to the 1969 shirt worn when we lifted our last major trophy – the Inter-City Fairs Cup – has been ridiculed by many, as it is only the round-necked collar that is in any way similar.
This will be the 10th year that Puma have made the Newcastle kit, and it is the last one in their current deal with the club. Whether they will remain as our official manufacturer beyond next season is not yet known.
So with a decade of black and white designs to their name, where does the new shirt rank in the list of worst home kits that they have produced?
The design itself is quite similar to their 2011/2012 version, which also featured just two white stripes on the front.
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The main difference is the all black sleeve of the new one, compared to the white of the older one.
It is also like a reversed version of the 2016/2017 shirt which was predominantly white, with just two black stripes.
But the two shirts that the new version will compete against as worst in a decade, are those from the 2014/2015 season, and its successor in 2015/2016
Not being a fan of anything other than a traditional black and white striped front, the black v-panel ruined the 2014/2015 shirt, for me.
And why there is a need to toy with the stripes by adding blue diagonals on it, is anyone’s guess, but fair to say that I certainly was not a fan of that a year later.
Of course, everyone will have their own opinion. Whatever the design, some will love it, while others will hate it. If we all had the same opinion about everything, the world would be a boring place.
I will reserve full judgement on the latest adaptation until I have seen it in person.
But I am far more concerned with who is going to be wearing it next season, than what it looks like.