NON-LEAGUE Holmer Green are waiting to hear from the Football Association after their league match at Watchet Lane was abandoned after just 12 minutes - because of an unruly fan.

The Spartan South Midland Premier League side were leading 1-0 against Edgware Town when the referee, Simon Higgins, suddenly abandoned the match because of the verbal abuse he was receiving from an Edgware fan.

"It's something I've never encountered before," admitted chairman Rob Shed.

"There are people who have watched more non-league games than me who said they have heard worse. I don't think the Edgware fan was swearing, but he was challenging some of the referee's decisions which seemed to be going our way."

Holmer Green had hammered Edgware Town 6-1 in the Premier Division Cup in midweek, and looked well on their way to securing a double victory when Greg Deer scored with a header from Tom Gant's cross.

But five minutes later, the match referee called a halt to the game because of the abuse.

Holmer offered one of their staff to act as a linesman if the senior assistant took over in the middle, but this was declined.

Chairman Greg Deer said the club were never asked to remove the spectator from the ground. "The referee missed a stage before calling off the game," he added. "I actually spoke to the fan afterwards and he told me that had he been asked to leave he would have done so."

Holmer Green are now waiting to hear from the FA about what happens next. Both teams and the match official will be filing a report. The Buckinghamshire club are hoping that the game will be replayed.

A post on Edgware’s Facebook page, which has since been deleted, claimed that the referee had made some “strange decisions” in the first 10 minutes and that the fan was moaning rather than directing foul or abusive language at Higgins.