I'm not trying to fan the flames of this dieing topic But......

I had a message from Shaun Harris, that he had sent over night.

The ACU haven't even had the decency to reply to a request that Shaun made to the ACU last week.

Shaun asked if he could be ride in two 600 races and two Superbike races over this weekend, in New Zealand to get his licence application accepted.

The ACU promised to let him know by "Midweek" and nothing has been heard from them.

In order to do the meeting Shaun would have had to travel over 500 miles to get there.

So he's stuffed....Because the ACU couldn't care less!

I have known about the offer since last week and deliberately kept it off the message boards to let things quieten down and avoid further speculation.

A lot of good that did !

What are the RIDER LIASON officers doing about it, this just makes me sick. They want a quality entry but what are they doing about it. My opinion is that all they want is newcomers from the carpark racing with names, you know, the ones that just turn up for the money :twisted:

Looks like the TT will miss two good riders at least this year

I am sure the Paul and Richard are as disappointed as we are at not having Shaun or Gary this year, and it does seem ironic.
What on earth is going on?

FC;

There is nothing Paul and Milky could do, it is not within their remit, they have no influence within the ACU Race Committee.

They should not be part of this.

True Charlie, but Paul and Milky could if they wanted to get all the riders together and make the threat to boycott the TT. The TT is not all about the ACU its about the riders, would the ACU stop the late great Joey Dunlop or Mike Halewood from doing the TT if they were in the same situation as Shaun Harris, I doubt it. Its about time the regular riders of the TT took the leathers off and show the ACU the size of their test tickles :twisted:

The TT will end up like the Ally Pally Bike show, a market place empty of true supporters

Not realistic, Colin, and not their job.
I think the description "riders liaison" is misleading...they are not there as a "rider's union", but to market the TT to possible participants.
If I were them I would be extremely upset by the way some of the best riders they must really want to include are excluded by the ACU, who, unlike them, don't seem to give a toss.

Can I ask everybody (again) to keep Paul and Richard out of this...it's not their problem. Thank you.

The decision to allow a rider to ride at the TT should be a local decision and not the ACUs, if Paul and Milky feel that a rider is capable of doing the TT that decision should stand but preferance should be given to riders that have competed regular at the TT rather than attracting newcomers with no experience of racing on 37 miles of narrow roads and stone walls.
They either give the lads the authority to make the decisions or why have them doing the job, its as simple as that

Fair enough, but the fact is the ACU can and do stop riders competing even when the MMCC and the Tourist Board might well want them to be there. I have no argument with your opinion, but it's not the ACU they are working for, and the ACU have the authority. That's what we are all angry about, Colin.

Well why dont we have a meeting face to face with the lads rather than bleeting on here. lets see if they have problems with the ACU and if so lets back them in someway. ie demand that the ACU answer all and any queries raised by riders and within a time frame. As a taxpayer on the Island my taxes have been used to buy the TT back off the ACU, but what have my taxes bought, in my opinion feck all if the decisions are made off Island.
I wonder if this is why I never got on invite to the TT press night, tonight :oops:

The ball's in your court, Colin..lots of people have tried to get an answer, far less a meeting, with the ACU with absolutely no success...that's why they are very angry indeed.
Who do you suggest should be at this meeting? Don't drag Paul and Richard into it...they are the messengers...you need to get the people who have authority.

I have a lot of respect for Paul and Milky as supporters and rider, the decision to bring them in on the TT was a good decision, but and a big BUT, if they know whos good enough to do the TT a recomedation from them should be approved. If they are on the side of the riders (i hope they are) then they should take note of whats being said by the riders, who have the riders got to fall back on no fekker, the riders need someone with the test tickles to back them up, Cretney and the lads are the riders gun and we have the bullets to load it but who will pull the trigger.

How about getting the home addresses of the ACU com members and all of us seding them pictures of the TT as it used to be and on the back of the pictures are complaints, if enough of us did it an a regular basis they would get real cheesed off and maybe answer us, or we could post pictures of Shaun Harris arround the coarse to see if the press pick something up

I have in my possession a document, I gave the person who supplied me with it my word that I would not reveal his/her identity or where it came from. In there it states:-

"We will also be seeking to improve the relationship between the organisers and the major teams and top riders by appointing a specific liaison officer. This individual will be a "one stop shop" for liason BETWEEN THE PARTIES and as a Senior Official of the meeting WILL BE ABLE TO SOLVE ISSUES BEFORE THEY BECOME PROBLEMS OR CAUSE CONFLICT."

It also states in here:-

"The Department have negotiated an "in principle" twenty year licence with the ACU under which EFFECTIVE CONTROL OF THE RACES WILL BE LOCALLY VESTED. A LEGAL DOCUMENT TO GIVE FULL FORCE TO THIS IS ANTICIPATED TO BE CONCLUDED SOON.

Whilst the Department will remain central to the whole organisation of the event, responsibility for the actual racing on the TT Course will be delegated to the Manx Motorcycle Club.

The signing of a 20 year contract will also remove all doubt about the commitment of the Isle of Man Government to the future of te event "

So, tell me again how its not part of the rider liaison officers job to "liaise between the parties (which surely means ALL parties) to solve issues (which must mean ALL issues) before they become problems or cause conflict."

This must surely be a part of the "Rider Liaison Officers" job desciption, and if theyre not doing this then they must be purely "Rider Recruitment Officers" as has become completely apparent.

Ammo.
A new post has been created at the DTL for a manager of motorsport, and as I said in another post, the bookmakers wont give me odds on the job going to Mr Phillips,

Colin,

I have a lot of respect for what you are doing to get the ACU to "front up" but as Helen has said Paul and Milky's titles are probably 'misleading'

They are the front line of the Isle of Man Department of Tourism and Leisure, "salesmen" who's job it is to negotiate with riders, within the budget constraints of the DOTL; "To sell the TT to prospective competitors."

All those riders will have to obtain their TT course licence , a totally seperate issue that David Cretney, Paul, Milky, the MMCC and the rest of the Manx Government have no influence over.

The ACU have proved time after time that they are a law unto themselves, you know that as much, if not more than anyone else, on this issue.

There are many more positive than negatives and after listening to the press staement on Manx Radio tonight the future is very bright with more new names announced, who will develop over the next two or three years.

David Cretney also announced further major funding for more safety equipment for 2007