Supporters plan first walkout protest in Liverpool history over ticket pricing

The final quarter-hour of Liverpool's Premier League fixture versus Sunderland on Saturday is set to be played against a backdrop of empty seats.

Spion Kop 1906, one of Liverpool's two most prominent supporters' groups and those responsible for the flags and banners on the Kop, urged supporters in a statement published Thursday to walk out of Anfield on 77 minutes of the match after "morally unjustifiable" new ticket prices for next season were revealed.

Related: Liverpool supporters call new ticket pricing 'morally unjustifiable'

The planned walkout is scheduled for the 77th minute as some seats in the Main Stand will cost as much as £77, up from £59. Liverpool's first £1,000 season ticket is also available for supporters who can afford it.

From This Is Anfield:

Sunderland at home on Saturday, the first stage of many planned protests against the club in regards to the ticket prices at Anfield for the 2016/17 season.

LFC think it's acceptable to make more money than ever before from supporters. £2million more.

That means price rises for many. £77 match tickets and £1,029 season tickets.

Big increases for some, a few frozen and others get a tiny bit off. The club still make more.

Don't think it's OK because yours is OK.

Who will get the next increases do you think?

Every week we get right behind the team.

Now supporters need to get behind each other.

Let's make sure the owners know this is unacceptable.

On 77 minutes, leave your seat and walk out. Tell your mates and family. Tell the people around you. Tell them why.

Walk out on 77 minutes and show you care.

Love the team - Hate the prices. #WalkOutOn77.

After Liverpool announced its new ticket prices, Spirit of Shankly, the other of the club's two most prominent supporters' groups, said it made three proposals in negotiations with the club: pricing at least 70 percent of the ground affordably (suggesting £30 a ticket), "an end to match categorisation," and increasing the number of young supporters inside Anfield.

"There have been demonstrations at Anfield before, but never a walkout protest," a spokesman for Spirit of Shankly said, according to Paul Wilson of the Guardian. "It is something of a first and we have no idea how it will go, but one thing that is certain is that hundreds of supporters and season-ticket holders are furious about the prices going up again. If as many people walk out as have contacted us over the last couple of days the effect will be noticeable.

"We are obviously not taking this decision lightly, we are supporters of the club after all, but this is now a moment in time for fans to show how they feel about constantly being asked to fork out more. If people do not take this opportunity to register a protest we will be seen to be accepting of the price rises and the moment will have passed."

Making matters worse is a post on the official website of Fenway Sports Management, a wholly owned subsidiary of Fenway Sports Group, which acquired Liverpool in 2010. The post preaches "transforming fans into customers" at a time when Reds supporters are furious.