Sign up NOW for our daily Villa newsletter direct to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Aston Villa protestors are calling for their fellow fans to leave their Villa Park seats empty for the start of the Premier League match against Bournemouth.

The Aston Villa Protest Group are planning the 'Seats on 7' demonstration as part of their campaign to make their feelings of frustration known to absent owner Randy Lerner.

Previously the group staged an 'Out the Door on 74' walkout, encouraging supporters to leave the stadium on 74 minutes of last month's defeat to Everton.

On Saturday, there was a 'Banners Out on 74' protest with fans holding up A4 posters with the slogan 'Proud History. What Future?' during the loss to Chelsea.

The group are now asking fans to leave their seats empty for the first seven minutes of Saturday's game against the Cherries at Villa Park.

Here is the thinking behind their latest plan - in a statement from the group

Seats on 7 – Aston Villa vs Bournemouth, April 9th, 2016.

Following on from the successful demonstrations against Everton and Chelsea we are again calling on you our fellow supporters to join us in protest. We are asking you to refrain from entering the terraces until 7 minutes after KO this Saturday vs Bournemouth.

We also encourage you to join with your fellow supporters either outside the ground, or in the concourse, to make a strong visual and vocal statement that as a fan base we are very much united in our pursuit of answers and positive action from our absent owner.

The significance of 7 minutes being that during Aston Villa’s rich and proud history we have won the League title on 7 occasions, a league in which due to the incompetent ownership of this magnificent club we will not be competing in next season.

Further to this, by leaving your seat vacant at kick off you will be mimicking the actions of our absent owner, whose seat has not been filled at Villa Park since September of 2014. That being the ONLY time he has attended Villa Park since December 2012.

poll loading Will you be supporting the latest Aston Villa protest by leaving your seat empty for seven minutes? 500+ VOTES SO FAR YES NO

We also want to see a continuation of Banners Out on 74. The supporters must now own this.

We have been asked why we don’t protest the players. That is not in our particular remit, they are a symptom of the disease rather than the cause. However we feel that banners, such as those seen last Saturday, provide the ideal opportunity for fans to express their discontent towards ownership and players alike.

We must maintain the pressure on Mr Lerner. The need for him to make a statement addressing the concerns in our recent open letter to him along with the need for him to action the three requests within that statement is as imperative as ever.

Further to this we are in a crucial time for the club as it seeks to appoint a new manager and we must leave those responsible in no doubt that they must work hard to appoint the correct manager for the plight we face.

We must continue to show the world that despite a lack of passion from Mr Lerner and from the players that we the supporters care deeply for our club. That we will not rest until Aston Villa is proven to be back on a firm footing and heading in the right direction.

Aston Villa Protest Group

Can you spot yourself in the crowd against Chelsea?