IT has been a shade over nine months in the making, but Alty fans will doubtless agree it has been worth the wait as we proudly present our eye-catching brand new away kit ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.

Drawing inspiration from the shirt that proved so popular a decade ago, club bosses got their heads together with kit suppliers Puma to start work on colours and designs befitting a squad intent on proving that last season's sustained push for promotion was no one-off.

That was back in September, and with it subsequently transpiring that this would be the first shirt launch with new partners AO's name across the front, there was general agreement that it had better look good.

It does. As is clear from the video and photos that are part of our presentation, it's a look that will surely be greeted with a nod of approval from even the most discerning eye.

So will the feel of the garments, according to Alty bosses who have been working diligently on what is our third bespoke kit with technical partners Puma.

It replaces the away kit that has served Alty for the past two seasons, and with technological advances in design and material being made all the time, Puma have been able to create a shirt that offers the players ultimate comfort, with the club badge woven seamlessly into the shirt to prevent any risk of skin abrasions.

"It is great that we are finally able to release our new away kit," said Alty director John Coyne, an integral part in the planning and creation of the new-look strip. "It has been a long time keeping it under wraps, but it has proved well worthwhile.

"We are delighted with the design, and how it has all turned out. The feedback from the players has been really positive ever since we moved to Puma, and this shirt has already proven very popular with the lads.

"I'd like to thank Craig Miller, at Puma, who has been a huge support in helping us achieve the vision we had for the forthcoming season. It's invaluable having a technical teamwear partner who are able to turn our ideas into reality."

If the quality of the product is of paramount importance, the club also set great store by presenting it to the community with the panache it deserves.

With that in mind, we invited a number of junior season ticket holders with an obvious flair for artwork along to our town centre club store to take part in a launch video.

The idea was for the youngsters to apply their artistic skills to painting a picture of a bright aqua football shirt and for the brush strokes to blur into a real-life model, none other than our very own Matty Kosylo, resplendent in the new colours and showing off the high-quality woven white Altrincham FC club crest that appears on the shirt and shorts.

The club are pleased to say that the full kit is available exclusively in-store this week, from 10am on Wednesday, with online sales starting on Sunday. Sizes available range from age five through to 3XL. The new home kit will follow and will be released around mid-July.