However, due to Rivals decision that the cricket sites weren't generating enough page views and advertising (although they were!) they decided to dump the main sites and combine the whole cricket network into one site (being NotOut.net) and leave us publishers with just a messageboard to inform users of news and views from our sides.

Many, including myself, were righly disgusted by this and decided to leave it all. Soon after, Rivals merged with the Football365 company and if you weren't a footy site, you were 'bye byes', leaving many upon many publishers without sites and homes to host them.

But, thanks to John Wards, a former Rivals publisher also, he has come up with the idea of this terrific new network, SportNetwork. Using his vast computing knowledge, he has made SportNetwork.net into the same way Rivals 'used' to operate with all sports getting a look-in and thanks to him, many of us cricket publishers have found new homes for our sites.

So, after months of wondering where I could put Scimitars, I have found a home for the site and I'm sure you will be pleased that 'The Number One Home For Fans Of Essex Cricket' is back.

As you can see, a new logo (thanks to Gary Spate of the Grimsby Town site here at SportNetwork for that wonderful logo) which I'm sure you will all like and an advert, which is offering companies the chance to buy that space of the site in return for them advertising are the first of many features to be added.

Of course, within the next couple of weeks the site should be up and fully running, but please bear with me, as this take time to upload and update everything, but it will be worth it!

But what makes these sites so unique, is that they are fans sites and we need your input and help. More on that to come.

All there is left to say for the moment is it's great to be back with Scimitars (thanks John Wards!) and I'm sure you Essex fans out there will feel the same.

The season gets underway properly in just under a month's time and as last season, Scimitars will be there to capture all the action for you.

'Welcome' then to Scimitars if you are new and 'Welcome Back' if you have visited Scimitars regularly before.

Here's to a successful season for Essex and Scimitars!

Dave Buxton
Your Scimitars site publisher

Date: 22/3/02