CHESHAM United chairman Alan Calder says he is "surprised, shocked and disappointed" after his side were ordered to replay their controversial abandoned game against Redditch United.

The original match was called off ten minutes into the second half when Redditch striker Josh McKenzie hit the referee in the face.

The Southern League announced today that the result - Chesham were 1-0 up at the time of the incident - will not stand and the game will be replayed.

But Calder said the decision - which he described as "flabbergasting" - sets a dangerous precedent.

He said: "A club can have a supporter on the bench and if they're losing they can bring them on and get a game abandoned. It won't matter because they're never going to play again anyway.

"I don't think people realise the implications of the decision. If we'd won we would be going into Saturday's game with the chance of going top, which would have led to a bigger gate.

"It's going to cost money to rearrange the game. It's just a nightmare on the logistics side.

"I'm flabbergasted. We had a penalty, we were 1-0 up, they were down to ten men and now we're going to be starting again from scratch. What sort of precedent is that going to set for football?

"I'm really surprised, shocked and disappointed."

Calder said he had not been given an explanation for the decision by the Southern League, saying all he had received was a single line email saying the game would be replayed.

He said: "There's going to be lots of people at the game on Saturday asking questions which I don't have the answers to."

He added: "I'm still trying to find out whether we have cause for appeal but we haven't been charged with anything, which makes it difficult. We have a right to question the decision or get an understanding of how it came about.

"We are looking at what options we have."

Calder said he had not yet spoken to his counterpart at Redditch, Chris Swan, but said: "I don't know how he feels. I'd hate to be in his position. I'd be really embarrassed."