Pictures: Aston Villa fan gets dumped by angry wife by giant banner

The new Premier League season is barely underway but already one relationship seems to have crumbled under the strain after this banner was found hung above a busy main road in Birmingham.

The 3 ft by 3 ft banner had the unfortunate message 'Jack, are the Villa really more important than our marriage? It's over, Jess' daubed over it in black paint.

The banner, situated on a busy commuter route near West Bromwich was seen by thousands of motorists who travelled along the route at rush hour seeming to refer to Jack's alliance to Aston Villa, who play their first Premiership game on Sunday.

Paul Brennan, a passing Aston Villa fan, said: "I love the Villa, but I always try and keep the Mrs sweet as well.

"This is a cruel way to break the news to him though, I don't know who they are or who has done what, but this is a certainly a harsh way today it.

"I hope it's not still there on match day - because they'll be thousands of people on the way to the game that will see it and most of them will be Albion fans around here so I'm sure they'll get a great laugh from it."

One van driver, a West Bromwich Albion fan, added "You shouldn't make a man pick between his woman and his football team. "I don't care who she is but he is better off without her - that's for sure.

"Most people around here are Albion fans so I wonder if she's a disgruntled Baggies supporter." It's not known who the pair in question are."