Permission granted: Plans for temporary club shop approved as Adidas deal edges closer to fruititon

The St James' Park club shop is set to undergo a huge refurbishment at the end of the season which has presented a problem for the club.

Newcastle United's monumental kit deal with German sportswear giant Adidas is set to start when this season comes to an end, and given the popularity of the brand amongst Newcastle fans, particularly those who remember the kits they made for the club back in the days of Alan Shearer, the demand for merchandise is going to be high.

Leaked kit designs have been all over the internet since the deal was announced along with fan mockups of designs they'd like to see. The excitement is huge to see the three stripes back on our kits.

However, with the refurb expected to take some time to complete, that would leave the stadium club shop closed during a time when it would expect to be at its busiest.

Newcastle proposed a temporary structure to house the club shop while work is done

The club recently proposed a temporary structure to be placed at the Gallowgate to house a club shop while the work takes place with the drawings of the temporary structure finding their way online.

That proposal has now been given the green light meaning that the temporary shop should be in place for the end of the season as work begins on the stadium shop.

Newcastle United have been listed as one of the Adidas "elite" clubs, albeit in the lowest tier of the elite. That means that we will be among the select few clubs likely to sport the old trefoil logo on our third kit, whatever that may look like.

Newcastle fans have high expectations from Adidas as the first kit reveals grow nearer

The expectation around the Adidas kits is huge with a lot of fans hoping the first kits released for next season will be call-backs to the most popular kits from the last time the two giants worked together.

The grandad collar shirts, both home and away are iconic, the image of Alan Shearer wheeling away with his arm in the air sporting the home kit with the Newcastle Brown Ale beer mat on his chest is engrained in so many fans' memories.

As are images of Les Ferdinand and David Ginola in the maroon and blue hooped kit with cream trim. If Adidas can incorporate callbacks to those designs then demand will be through the roof.

I just realised that I'm talking about the best part of 30 years ago and now I'm away to buy a rocking chair and slippers off Amazon.

We just hope that Adidas copes better with the demand than Castore who were always underprepared for the fervent Toon Army.