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The Blues’ strip for the 2019-20 is expected to be confirmed in the coming days.

It will be the second season it’s supplied by Nike after linking up with the American giants last year.

When that agreement was confirmed it was hoped fans would be able to be consulted over the look of the new kits for next season.

That’s not been possible, however, with Catlin highlighting the issue relates to the release of Nike’s kit templates to supporters.

With their designs for new kits following a similar pattern for club’s all over the world the company were unable to allow any kind of public vote with the Fratton faithful.

Catlin feels the vast majority of fans will feel that’s a small price to pay for the Nike partnership.

He said: ‘Details will be coming soon on the new kit.

‘The question has been asked why didn’t fans have an input?

‘Unfortunately it’s not how Nike’s model works.

‘We get given templates for the coming season which we can use.

‘But they are templates which work with every club in their catalogue.

‘If we went out and said you can have the choice of x, y and z everyone would know what the kits are for the coming season!

‘So Nike are understandably averse to that.

‘But I did point that was a downside of shifting from Sondico to Nike.

‘Are there more upsides than downsides? I think most fans would say there are.’

The move to Nike was welcomed by fans after an association with Sondico which was hampered with difficulties.

A three-year agreement was sealed last year with the first period of that partnership proving fruitful.

A retail operations agreement was ratified with Just Sport which has seen the club store flourish since it was opened on Anson Road last June.

Nike will be making kits for the likes of Barcelona, Inter Milan, Roma, Chelsea, Atletico Madrid, Spurs and the England national team in the 2019-20 season.