From Manx radio

http://www.manxradio.com/readNEwsItem.aspx?id=14379

What implications will this have for the Manx. does anybody else get the feeling that the manx is being cast adrift.

One of the Top Scrutineers has also gone a Mr Kirby, reason given the amount of bikes that will only be checked over before practice.

A wonder if the new COC will go to Milky :wink: :wink:

I hope Neil Hansen will be recognised for the long years he has served the MMCC. The end of an era, begun by his father, Geoff Hansen. Good luck and best wishes for the future.

Hi FC where did that come from re only checking bikes over once. surely the insurance companies would not that.

A.C.U. General Secretary Gary Thompson has told Manx Radio negotiations are taking place to offer Neil Hanson a consultancy role at T.T. 2008.

Earlier, it was revealed Neil Hanson will no longer be Clerk of the Course. He has also resigned from the same position at the Manx Grand Prix, and ended a 40 year involvement as a committee member of the Manx Motor Cycle Club.

The Chief Technical Officer for the T.T. Jeff Kirby has also resigned in a dispute with A.C.U. Events Limited over the number of machines to be scrutineered before each race or practice session. Mr Kirby has declined to comment any further.

Meanwhile, the delayed regulations for the T.T., which includes details of all officials for the 2008 meeting, are with the Department of Tourism for final approval.

How about that then...... strange how things work, first the TTMA then the coc........ who next?

I Think your job is safe at the southern Dave.

I'm sorry it has come to this, it's quite sad really, never mind the implications.By the way Neil's father was called Donald, a fine man, who was very friendly with my Dad.
It's common knowledge that Neil and I had our share of disputes at a time when I was Riders Representative for the TT Races.
However, above all,Neil Hanson is a good man, who always put the Riders safety first, served the MMCC with distinction, and placed the Manx Grand Prix at the top of his list of priorities. I don't happen to agree with every decision he made, but at least he made them, stuck to them, and backed them up with sound reasoning. He will be a very difficult man to replace, and I think you will find that he will be sorely missed. I'm sad because, maybe, just maybe, it's another nail in the MGP coffin, an event that has always been my all time favourite race.

Whatever people's opinions have been of Neil Hanson in his role as Clerk of the Course, one thing that cannot be denied is that he has a wealth of knowledge of the event built up over a lifetime. The danger now is that the ACU (or whatever fancy name the new organisation have given themselves) will appoint someone who has done the job on short circuits in England but who has absolutely no understanding whatsoever of the TT and all the unique problems and challenges that the event brings.

So much progress has been made over recent years in bringing the TT into the modern era and greatly improving the standard of entry, but the thought of the ACU being back in charge fills me with dread. The organisation that will be running the TT may have a slightly different name, but several of the same old names have been bandied about recently in relation to several things to do with the TT. Jim Parker, Eddie Nelson, etc. As far as I am concerned, the ACU have proved themselves over the years to be incompetent, uncommunicative and downright obstructive and rude in their handling of virtually everything to do with the TT. I really hope that things will be different now, but somehow I can't see it. This particular leopard will never change its spots.

You're right David. The thought of Eddie Nelson, and Jim Parker being in charge would signal a continued diminishing of my interest in the TT Races. 18years as Riders Representative gives me some authority to write this. Apologies to the Hanson family, for some reason (senior moment), I wrote Neil's father's name as Donald, when it was in fact Douglas. Thank you for pointing it out Larry. I was thinking of another stalwart of the MMCC, the late Don Cottier, who with Joyce Cottier, ran the Woodbourne Hotel, unofficial HQ of the ACU in the fifities and sixties. After Don died in 1967, Joyce married Ken Shierson the legendary secretary of the ACU. Think she lives in the Mediterranean now. Does anyone know?

I agree with all that Nick and David have said. I expect Parker, Nelson & Co (aren't they a well known firm of dodgy solicitors?) to make (a personal fortune) or break the TT. The wrong motives become clearer each year.

The ACU is driving a cloud of pessimism over these great, historic races yet again. How can an organisation, that claimed to have introduced the controversial course licence due to concerns over rider safety, now introduce a reduction (allegedly) in standards in scrutineering?

Well the DTL have let the Bull into the china shop and all the shop assistants have made for the doors. Let us hope they don't let it out into the paddock with the manufactures, teams and riders
Looks like the visiting experts will be over this year to run the TT, or should I say the TT Event.
Even from a distance it is hard not to observe the almost calculated way the MGP is being marginalised. It is sad if Neil could not be persuaded to retain an active role in the Manx.

Nick what is your opinion on the rumoured (good) changes in scrutineering. ie bikes only checked over at start of practice and then not until race day.

Can you imagine what the out come would be if somebody gets hurt with a bike that has not been checked

Have got agree with all of the comments made.

Whose decision is it in respect of scrutineering? if they ae so smart lets see the name.

The money grubbers and desk clerks who have never put a leg over iron on the mountain and probably on any race track and sit behind desks looking at how much money they can mke are running the show.

Scrutineering is the most vital of safety measures and must be carried out each and everytime a machines arrives at the paddock.

At some time or other we have all cursed a scrutineer when they have picked something up and we have to go away, put it right and join the back of the line.

bikes go out for practice get stripped and rebuilt and then go out again they need sruting every time as if they had never been done before, no ifs buts or b******.

The lunatics a running the asylum when we start abandoning the most basic common sense rules of safety.

I can't believe this scrutineering matter. I for one would NOT even go out on a track in the knowledge that other bikes weren't scrutineered. The organisers have a duty of care to all the riders, and this rumoured move doesn't come even close to sanity.
I remember getting turned away because I'd left the torque arm bolt loose on the rear drum brake of my TD2B. What a relief that the scrutineers saw it. Before anyone says, "ah they don't have drum brakes anymore", there are loads of modern examples of potential disasters for the scrutineers to check. Well my friends, it would be just a matter of time before a disaster took place, probably someone braking for Quarter Bridge. Madness!

Any one fancy opening a book on who will be the new C o C.

My punt is Eddie Nelson

There's a similar debate on tt.com Tom. I put 50p each way on Nelson...

Ain't very brave are you? 50p each way, I was thinking more of a pony for a dead cert'