Heads were bowed for a minute's silence ahead of Crown's East Grinstead and Crawley League Fairway Cup match against Stone Quarry - for a dead bird.

Sombrely the Crown players trudged on to the pitch at the Broadfield Stadium wearing black armbands.

And a hush fell around the ground as the team joined hands with their rivals to pay their respects to the deceased.

Referee Hamed Rissoni was asked just seconds before the match if the home team could hold the silence in memory of a bird they knew who had just died.

Thinking it must be a local woman he agreed to delay the game. In fact he was so touched by their show of emotion he placed his hand comfortingly on the shoulder of one of the players and asked if he was alright.

What Mr Rissoni didn't realise was that the sobs he could hear from the grief stricken players were muffled sniggers.

And "the bird they knew" was not a local woman at all but strictly of the feathered variety.

Player Phil Jarman dreamed up the hoax after his mother-in-law Jane's pet budgie died that morning. He persuaded every player in the side to dig out their black armbands and take part in a tribute for the dead budgerigar.

However the budgie did have a footballing connection - its name was Ruud after the former Chelsea manager Ruud Gullit.

Phil said: "I told my mother-in-law I was going to do it before the game, but she didn't believe me.

"To be honest I didn't expect everyone to fall for it. When we held hands for the silence we were all struggling not to laugh. There were a few sniggers, but it just sounded as though we were crying.

"Everyone else was being so serious. Even the opposition were standing there really straightfaced and the crowd. We couldn't believe it.

"I felt sorry for the referee, he looked concerned. I didn't have the heart to tell him it was a wind up until after the match. Then I think he didn't believe me."

Crown were battling for a semi-final place and managed to shake off the misery of their bereavement to win the game 2-0.

The club, who are last year's cup holders, have already had more than their fair share of bizarre games.

Last year they won one of their matches an astonishing 31-0.

Phil said: "We became famous for that win. Generally though we have got a bit of a reputation as pranksters. All the lads are up for a laugh and pulling off this minute's silence was just typical of us."