Thanks to one or two rash predictions by fans on the U's Net board and Leyton Orient's "Orinet" board, a war of words was already well under way on Friday. By Saturday evening, allowing just enough time for the first Orient fan to get home from the match, the first triumphal messages had started and the banter and arguments ran until Tuesday.

It highlights how much the transfer dealings since Tommy Taylor's departure have elevated our games with the O's into a 'derby' atmosphere. The only other games that attract the same attention and raise the writers' hackles so much are of course the matches with 'Boro.

Another thing it highlights is the ever-increasing number of people who have access to the WWW. Now that companies like Dixons (with their Freeserve service) are providing free Internet access, the number of visits to the site is soaring, and this month will easily be the busiest so far for U's Net in its three year history.

I know I have mentioned the multi-national gatherings in the chat room before, but the Walsall game was the latest evening game to attract a small crowd as penalties were taken. Australia, Norway, the UK and the USA were represented as the evening reached its disappointing climax, and it certainly beats waiting for the news on Ceefax or Teletext!

As I write, the poll on the site to find the best or most memorable goal of the decade is due to close. Several goals are among the front runners, including Dion's decisive strikes at Maidstone and Wembley, Lee Philpott's volley at Bristol City and Chris Leadbitter's FA Cup goal at Wolves. Hopefully the top ten will be available to download for your personal use from the site within a fortnight.

The new announcement list on U's Net started a fortnight ago and has already attracted nearly 80 subscribers from around the world. It should provide a quick and easy means of getting the headlines and news of changes and updates to the web site.

Finally, everyone knows that "The Football Fans Guide" is the bible for travelling supporters as they follow their club around the country, but can I remind you that another Us fan has put together a web site that is proving increasingly popular. Peter Laborne's "The Football Fans Good Pub Guide" grew out of a page he wrote for U's Net and Peter's hard work has seen football fans from all over the country supply details of recommended pubs near football grounds.

If you travel to away grounds and have Internet access, you will probably enjoy pointing your browser at http://start.at/the.pub for an enjoyable and useful guide. If you have any recommendations that are not already on his site, Peter would be glad to hear from you.