Article on the TT in todays Independent on Sunday.
<A HREF="http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/story.jsp?story=642344">http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/story.jsp?story=642344</A>

I was disgusted by this and have written to the editor. Real redtop trash isn't it? (Angry of Inverkeithing)

Cheap Thrash!, and that person probably got more for writing that article, than most of us will earn in a week!

Poor journalistically too, with little research, not well written, and no balance. (seethe, seethe!!)

We know different---THAT is the important thing !!.....

Every year I get this one neighbour seeing me arrive home after a TT, he doesn't make any other comment than "How many ?" I have to remain as dignified as possible.....

Is this what other people think thanks to this drivel in national papers ?

Have I spent 50 weeks actively promoting the good things associated with the TT and the IOM to have it destroyed by this ?

I wonder that people will be interviewed...

A reporter came a few years ago to the press office and ASKED where he could go to see an accident................

And he had a PRESS PASS !!

We sent him to Governors !!

Let us stop comparing the TT with climbing Everest, horse jumping and the like....

The TT is unique..............................

F------ disgraceful .

What a bias opinion, I thought newspapers were supposed to report news - silly me.

Also at the risk of offending any TT fans. I bet the number of fans that read The Independant, is about as high as the number of people happy with the service visting fans get from the Steam Packet Company.

That would be a good story.

TT Jim

Newspapers only print rubbish ask most people what they think of MCN? and thats a publication thats supposed to bring news of our great sport, so most daily papers are basicly COMICS getting the fat cats of Fleet St richer and richer.

Mmmmm, and what is your collective points exactly.? The article seemed fairly accurate to me??

The artical is so unbalanced, if it was a buiding, it would fall over;

It reflects on the opinoin of Barry who I had the greatest respect for as a circut racer, who happend to hold a different view to me and many, many others about the TT.

Showed no respect for those that enjoy participating - freely of there own will nor those that support it by assisting free of charge, or those that simply wish to watch.

Clearly demonstrates the viewers bias views about road racing. Did it not cross his mind that 000's just love it, go there to have fun and let their hair down for 2 weeks in a year.

Like I said earlier, I thought newspapers were supposed to report the news. That's probably why the writer had so much to say about last nights untimed - for SAFETY REASONS practice. Oh, my mistake, they forgot to mention this. Just like he forgot to mention one or two riders being black flagged for leaking oil - Oh another SAFETY Reason pops up.

How unlike a newspaper reporter to miss two facts.

TT Jim

In a way you are right TTotal, but I think we fans try to see the TT as a sport with all the extras.

We have now learned to expect this pre-TT, damaging coverage by people who have never been and don't understand.

They are the sort that enjoy reporting the downside of everything. It sells papers !!

Unfortunately, we can't feel outraged because they have in fact taken the sad side of the racing and have made it seem that this is all we are going for, to go the colisseum to watch the lions eating christians as it were.

We don't know the answer........................

it says Sheene, crashed or stopped at 1st corner!, Correct me if i am wrong, but did he not do a 250 proddy race prior the 125 race??? , i may be wrong here, but surely some older and wiser forum reader could correct me here.or maybe he just did the practice for it.put me outta my misery please.

Have just reread Indy article and yeah, it is a cheap dig at the fans, let's face it, we don't come over to witness deaths. Indeed, I love the spectacle, and yesterdays untimed practice is the first I've seen for a few years and WOW.
But one can't deny that a lot of people lose lives on the IOM and if I was to witness a fatal racing incident here, it would seriously affect my subsequent enjoyment. And the article only referred to the 200 racer fatalities, how many more spectator casualties have there been?

Bazza retired on the third lap of the 1971 250 Production race, he was lying about 8th on the first two laps. I have a shot of him leading the field down Bray Hill; Charlie Williams reckoned he followed him up the Ballahutchin, then mugged him through Glen Vine!
Barry was lying second, thirty seconds behind Chas Mortimer after the first lap of the '71 125 when he spilled at Quarter Bridge.

My letter to the editor for all the good it wil do .. !

"Sir,

Your article titled " Isle of Man TT: It has killed 200 people. But still they come. Maybe that's why they come " is insulting to all TT fans ! To suggest that fans attend the TT in such great numbers each year to watch people being killed is utter rubbish and rather insulting. Your correspondent obviously has no idea of the real reason why people attend these races each year. It is very clear that he hasn't even bothered to ask fans why they attend the TT preferring instead to take a cheap shot at the TT using the easy option of gathering a few figures & quotes in an attempt to sensationalise the article. There was not even any attempt to put these figures in perspective say with the number of fatalities in other sports such as mountaineering,fishing ,sailing etc to name but a few ! The whole article was cheap & totally unbalanced looking at the TT from a purely negative standpoint. Sadly, this is not uncommon and until journalists such as this do their job properly and actually attend the TT and speak with the fans to discover the real reasons why they are there in such large numbers, the same old sensationalist rubbish will be spouted year after year !

Yours disgusted,

Guy Kerr

Well said Guy,
Have to be honest after i read the first few lines felt a bit sick and would not read the rest.
At the end of the day we are all thankfull to live in a country that gives us freedom of choice to partake in what ever sport we want to spend our hard earned money on.
Wether it be climbing mountains, roadracing, rallying, whatever.... articles such as that written really do nothing but upset the people that love the sport and should be used as chip paper for those that are not really interested.

Stella

Sadly I must hang my head in shame.

I have the pleasure? to work for the company that owns "The Independent".

"The press" depends on advertising to make it's profits. I can't tell how you should react to that information but hopefully you can all guess.

This is the home website of the company that owns The Independent,
<A HREF="http://www.inmplc.com/home.php">http://www.inmplc.com/home.php</A>

It's amazing how many newspapers they own worldwide!!! Including the Irish Star anyone remember the pictures of Joey the were published in it?

Cargo, Do not be ashamed, we all have to earn a living.

No one I know, would hold anyone responsible for the story run other that the writer and the editor.

Even they are entitled to their view, my issue is the fair reporting of news - which is not reflected in this article.

TT Jim

There will always be someone with something to say about what they see as others stupidity.

As far as people condemning the mountain as to dangerous to race on Barry Sheene was not the only one, Peter Williams, Giacomo Agostini were amongst other great riders. Their condemnation always followed a tragedy that affected them personally, such as Gilberto Parlotti which I can understand, however it is always Barry Sheenes name that comes to the fore as the bad guy.

A bit unfair in my opinion, I knew Barry well from when he first raced Bulto's, and for a newcomer his performance was not bad at all, firstly he did not arrive for practice until the Wednesday.

Admitted his performance on Eddie Crooks Suzuki T20 was not his normal world class stuff, he was actually in 7th at the end of the first lap, and completed two laps, retiring on the third, but then he had hardened experienced campaigners like Bill Smith, Charlie Williams, Tommy Robb etc in front.

As far as his 125 race was concerned and considering the conditions, probably amongst the worst a T.T has been run in his performance was at least very impressive.

Admitted he was on the ex Stuart Graham works disc valve Suzuki twin, which was as quick as most 250s, I rode in that race and from start to finish it lashed with heavy rain and thick mist all across the mountain. Chas led it on lap one on the works Yamaha, Barry second and Borg Jannson on the works Maico third.

I saw Barry sat on the straw bales at Quarter Bridge, starting number 15 and having caught and past everyone on the roads except those three I was confident I was on for climbing the steps.

Conditions deteriorated to such and extent that all three of us were lapping two minutes slower on the last lap. The moment of glory was lost with much weeping, wailing and nashing of teeth when the crank gave out on the old CR93 at Glenn Duff on the last lap.

The Senior was then abandoned until Saturday morning. Barry defintely did the business that day and would have finished second he had lapped three minutes faster than all but Chas Mortimer.

I doubt if not many riders have not cursed the mountain, swearing never to return, I know I have watching Douglas disappear after one year in which I was to close to fatalities in the lightweight 250, Production and Senior. However I was back the next and many years after.

However I have witnessed far more fatalities at horse trials than ever in over 20 years on bikes and lost two good friends, a hunstman with the North Shropshire, and a Sergeant with a Police mounted division who were not even on the damn things but got kicked, one in the chest and other in the head.

I think were get two excited and by these odd spurious articles that always appear every year. I believe the current records of fatalities and serious injuries recorded by A&E departments, are children on trampolines. the fact that they get it wrong such as barry not completing one lap just shows ignorance of the facts.

Had many arguments with Barry about the T.T, but Parlloti affected him very badly, how many who criticise him for his opinion could have battled the way he did against Kenny Roberts Snr in the G.Ps?

Just ignore the uninformed and enjoy your racing.

Good post there Tom.