I am reluctant to give an opinion on the information that has been posted in respect of the inquest, however my sympathies are with the marshalls, to me time and time again they fall into the line of fire when there is a fatality, D Js tragic accident comes to mind.

The burden on them must be immense for unpaid volunteers, particularly since the Merseybeat boy Culverhouse withdrew the Police support from the marshalls and they now have no backup to enforce their responsibilities. Perhaps the Manx CC envisaged the time when one of his officers would be in the firing line because of an ihcident beyond the officers control.

I have been in very close proximity to three fatal accidents two in the TT and one at the S100, one incident was at Rhencullen in the 71 Senior, I was flat out slipstream a very experienced and safe Len Williams 350 Aermacchi riding a T500 proddy bike, we were not touring because we both got silver reps.

We were on the right line hard to the left a newcomer on a Manx 500 passed us totally off line hard on the right of the road, Williams and myself instinctively sat up and shut of in shock or whatever in anticipation, tragically that rider was never going to make it on the line he had chosen to overtake. The machine and rider hit the right wall and completely aviated high in the air back across the front of Williams into the side of the house in the dip, we were both lucky not to be brought down by the rebounding machine and debri.

Being mindfull that this was a fairly lightweight 45 bhp 140 mph max machine it was terrifying to think of the additional carnage therr would have been had the bike bounced back into us instead of across the road. There is a bit of difference today with 100 bhp 200 mph heavyweight missiles.

We have probably all seen the video of the rider down Bray Hill with mother of all tankslappers and machine and rider sliding up the road in a cloud of dust and flying bits. That could easily have been different if it had hit a kerb or wall and rebounded into a front garden or the barriers at th bottom were there would be spectactors.

Such a tragedy can happen anywhere with todays machines if they get out of control, thats road racing and it can never be made 100% safe.

Whatever anyone says let us hope this inquest can bring closure for the relatives of those victims and those who suffered terrible injuries and witnessd the event, the horrors and trauma of all those involved and witnessing such an incident cannot be imagined by any of us.