Early December 1997 ... Billy in talks with Roy McFarland.

December 31st 1997 ... Billy rejects offer for new two-year contract.

February 1998 ... Rumours that Billy and his Dad were seen in earnest discussion in the Supporters' Club with Tommy Taylor.

8th April 1998 ... Billy rejects second, improved offer.

11th May 1998 ... Barry Hearn rings SG asking for permission to speak to Billy and asks directly "How much do you want for him?" SG sends faxed response the same day. We don't want to sell, but the Retained List hasn't even been done yet. He gets a faxed letter back saying that they will speak to Billy and make an offer if they can agree terms with him.

13th May 1998 ... CUFC confirm a third offer on improved terms again.

19th May 1998 ... Barry Hearn faxes SG again, and his letter states "... we have agreed a three-year package subject to ... agreement on a transfer fee". Their offer is £5,000/£5,000 after 25 first team appearances/10% sell-on.

20th May 1998 ... CUFC reject the offer - furthermore Billy Beall has yet to respond to the offer of 13.5.98

2nd June 1998 ... Billy Beall hand delivers letter rejecting third offer, and he meets with SG and RMcF, saying he wants a move after six years at the Club. SG advises Leyton Orient that Beall wants to join them, and says a valuation will be placed later in the week.

4th June 1998 ... CUFC send fax valuing Beall at £75,000/£60,000 overall based on games/£15,000 based on promotion + 20% sell-on.

5th June 1998 ... Barry Hearn is "totally amazed" by our valuation. He adds "clearly we are not going to get any closer to resolving this dispute and I would therefore suggest we refer the matter to a conditional tribunal". They have not asked if we would negotiate.

6th June 1998 ... SG acknowledges the above letter.

8th June 1998 ... Tommy Taylor rings SG who is on his way to a meeting. Orient have discovered something we had researched weeks earlier - that conditional tribunals (where if you don't like the fee, you can pull out) have been scrapped. "We will contact you at the end of the week with a revised offer".

9th July 1998 ... SG writes to Orient, who have made no contact since the TT call. Beall has not returned to pre-season training.

17th July 1998 ... Barry Hearn telephones SG. Still monitoring the situation, and will send revised offer in due course, but awaiting outcome of possible challenge to the "system" by Bradford City.

22nd July 1998 ... Hackney Gazette quotes Tommy Taylor as saying that "Cambridge are getting desperate to do a deal".

Those are the facts of the saga so far ... please draw your own conclusions.

Meanwhile, the non-desperate Cambridge United awaits contact from Orient. Billy Beall is missing important pre-season training. The victim in all of this has been Billy Beall, who, on 19th May, thought he had a new three-year contract with Leyton Orient.