This means that football fans, predominantly Arsenal Leeds and Chelsea fans, have let this much processor time on their computers be used in the search for cancer cures, all in the memory of the man whose name is still regularly chanted at Arsenal matches.

UD (United Devices) is a distributed computing project where the immense number of chemical calculations needed to screen chemicals that may have a role in cancer treatment can be spread over the world, to utilise the unused power of private computers. Each computer runs a small program, using only spare processing power so that it doesn't disturb your work.

By a stroke of fate, the project went live on the day Rocky passed away, prompting Arsenal fan Neil Donovan to set up the "Rocky Remembered" team. You can read more about it on the original announcement of the establishment of the team. The announcement contains links for people wishing to join the team.

All it means, basically, is installing a new screensaver, thus joining the 200 odd members of the team who are currently providing over 50 days of CPU time per day.

People who'd like to make monetary donations in Rocky's memory might like to check out the Marc Fisher Trust, which is a charity devoted to the same kind of cancer from which Rocky died.

If you are already a member: thank you, and congratulations.

If you're not: please do join up.

Everyone: please tell your friends.

Also, thanks to everyone whose written to tell us about this online petition, which asks Arsenal together with the other club Rocky played for, to organise a special "testimonial" match in his memory (we imagine it'd be called a "memorial" but that's just a detail!). It's a lovely idea, and would be a special occasion, although I have to say it might be a bit overwhelming for the players. Definitely worth asking them though. I admit I'm not usually too keen to publicise these online petition things, but like I said there has been a huge amount of interest in it in my mailbox. This is clearly something that has made a connection in many people's minds (so well done to Ross Clark, the guy who started it off).

I would say though, that if you're really keen on the idea then sending a letter to the club(s) would probably have a significantly greater impact than simply adding your name to the petition. But adding your name to the 1000+ who've done it already would be a good start.