It was a surprise hit with Gills fans when it went on sale last year, and now the club have confirmed it wants to keep the distinctive pink away kit next season.

The strip was instantly popular after going on sale last August, turning the Rainham End into a sea of fuschia on match days.

It flew of the racks at the club shop, becoming the most popular away shirt in almost a decade.

The club have registered it as a playing kit for next season, and hope to get the go ahead from the Football League to use it in league and cup matches.

The black strip has been registered as the third kit.

Joanne Barnes, the manager of the club shop, said the pink shirt had sold well throughout last season.

She said the norm with away shirts was to order half of the stock compared to the home kit, but the distinctive strip had broken the tradition.

Special centenary home and away shirts will be worn next season, and the club have yet to reveal when they will go on sale.

Joanne said the shop had received a large number of preorders, more than usual for a new home shirt.

When the centenary design was unveiled earlier this year it provoked a mixed reaction from some fans.

Some think it’s a good idea to recognise the history of the club – it marks 100 years since the club changed its name from New Brompton to Gillingham, and includes the badge worn on the shirt at the time.

Others think it will be weird seeing the Gills play in red.

New manager Martin Allen, however, said the colour of the kits wasn’t important.

When asked about the centenary kits on Tuesday he said: "The only important thing is what is between their ears and what’s in their head, because we know they are physically fit enough.

"It probably does to the true supporters of Gillingham, I’m sure it does, but there are good reasons why different coloured kits are picked.

"The most important thing for me now is to get the people in to fill that kit and people who will do the club proud, that’s the job, not what the colour of the kit is."