Disappointment is the emotion being expressed by the Manx Motor Cycle Club in a statement regarding last Friday's announcement that A.C.U. Events Limited would take over as next year's T.T. race organisers .

Today's release suggests that, following the Club's resignation on the 27th September, the Department of Tourism refused to meet with Club representatives to talk about a new T.T. contract.

The Club says the resignation letter clearly stated a willingness to carry on in the role of race organiser, but under new terms and conditions.

However, the Manx Motor Cycle Club says the Department of Tourism did not enter into any discussions, about possible ways forward, prior to the appointment of A.C.U. Events Limited.

The statement finishes by saying the Club is now concentrating on planning its own event - the Manx Grand Prix.

Does anyone know where we can view the full statement?

I've been thinking a lot about this takeover by the ACU, and can't get my head round some of the reasoning.
If it was because the MMCC is amateur, surely giving them funding would mean they could employ people, exactly as the ACU will do.
Which jobs would that apply to?
I am puzzled as most of the roles undertaken by "experts" eg trained amateurs, like scrutineers, for example, will still be amateur, won't they. I understand scrutineers will even have to pay their own lunch and coffee at training courses.
Would the correct procedure not have been to put this whole shooting match out to tender, about July, when the initial problems were identified? Working with the MMCC who has just done the biggest event ever run here, they could have taken time to produce a clear set of specifications which any qualified organisation could then bid for?
Isn't that the "Freedom to flourish" open, accountable way?
Seems like someone had an agenda here and nothing is transparent.
Or am I missing something

Yet again we are left to ponder the question "Conspiracy or Cock-up?".

I'm not leaning towards either alternative, honestly, it's just that it takes a certain talent always to ensure a total lack of transparency in whatever one does.

When will these people learn that as a result of such an approach, their reputation will never flourish :?:

:?

Who wants a bet that this cock will lead to the DTL having to now start paying the likes of marshalls, scrutineers, time keepers and the like and all run through the ACU who will take their 10% cut.

Here is an interesting item. It would appear that the ACU Events organisation is brand new. Untried? Untested?
Mr Appleyard, who was described as being an independent person on the board of this "completely separate" entity from the ACU, is, of course, an ACU official of long standing.

http://www.acu.org.uk/uploaded/documents...270907.doc

I personally think this is very disappointing from the point of view of communication. Too many decisions behind closed doors, and it appears as though this was all thought through directly after the TT with no communication with the MMCC.

What happens now also to all the cash that the Government has paid the ACU for the use of the TT logo? Does this payment stop? or is this the reason the ACU Events company has been formed, so they can still keep taking the cash?

What experience has this ACU Events company team got in running such a large and important event such as the TT? According to another post it was involved in motorcross events.

Also if it was worries of the marshaling situation, what are they going to do to sustain the recruitment of new marshalls? The most experienced team I think we had was turned away like a small child when they ask for half a ton of ice cream at the local shop. Yes kids can eat icecream all day long and love every single mouth full, but they get sick, and by the looks of it the MMCC got sick and tired of being dictated to and needed a meeting to clarify each and every situation, get a plan and implement it.

Now all we have is a company recently created for Motorcross. So expect the odd berm or three round Governers Hill, some jumps near the grandstand for excitement and a Huskavana winning the superstock race.

Yes I know its a little silly, but then again I think this situation is getting exactly that. The problems were not caused by the MMCC. They have got stick for years for the TT and yet the Manx which they run fantastically is always hailed as a success. So whats the difference with the two? Well I think its the Money barrons expecting a return on something that should be a jewel of a meeting, but if you scratch the surface is nothing but fools gold.

Too much is spent on how much we can get out of it, and yes in some ways I think this is true, to attract sponsors and backers of the TT, but before you can do this you have to have a product to sell. And at the moment the only reason the last TT worked was because it was a milestone in the event. Sponsors knew they would get coverage, backers knew they would get exposure, and because of the cunning of Paul Phillips, he made them sign in for more than just one year, well done Paul, and you don't find me saying that too often.

What I would suggest is leave the MMCC to run the race side of things and let a specialised events team handle the sales and marketing of the product. Two totally separate things, two totally separate points of concentration, but one aim. That of making the TT as good and as great as it used to be. But they have to be two totally separate teams and no overlap, let them concentrate on what they do well.

I am going to run a game of spot the TT 2007 shirts next year for all the officials as they all have the MMCC logo on. Will be fun. Ran one this year for spotting the Southern jackets as well, lol will just be a bit of fun.

Jim Parker is the chairman Now, how does it coincide with the fact that he is,or nearly is, 70?He would not have been permitted to remain on the ACU road race committee past that age, hence this latest brainchild :roll:

I thought all the sales and marketing was Signature, so surely the ACU are doing the actual race organisation.. entries, day to arrangements, scrutineering, safety etc? Group 4 are handling the paddock, I think... what does that leave..

Group 4 :?:

Security :?: :?:

Were there ever two terms more mutually contradictory :?: :?: :?:

Well here is something Signature have come up with :- 'TT fans will be able to enjoy the 2008 racing in luxury thanks to the new TT VIP Club.

The club was unveiled at the Motorcycle and Scooter Show at the NEC in Birmingham on Thursday.

Signature Sponsorship Isle of Man Ltd launched the TT VIP Club for guests who want to experience the TT in luxury, enjoy the location adjacent to the start/finish straight and listen to the views of the top three riders just moments after they have stepped off the podium.

TT hospitality is for those guests who want to pamper themselves, celebrate their visit to the Isle of Man or entertain clients in an environment awash with the atmosphere of the TT.'

So that would be the guests and TT fans with a few hundred quid a day to spend then?..............umm wonder how many REAL bike race fans rather than the suits who couldn't really give a dam about the races but are looking for the boasting value with their mates at the regular Bugatti owners club meeting.

When are they ever going to do something for the real fans?

Plus where is all this cash coming from? Couldn't this be better spent on safety for the riders? or even the Marshals...

I do realise that making the event popular for the sponsors to attract them in the future is soeting that needs to be looked at, but how much is spent and what return are the team getting to make it viable. Please lets not go on the basis of this is great because of last year, because you have to wait another 3 years before something that's even close to the same pulling power as this year. 100 years of the mountain course.

What does anyone else think?

Paul's reply more or less confirms what I suspected. The ACU have realised there is a huge sum of money to be made out of the TT and want control of it, as they have done with every other sporting event, turning it from a sport to a business.

We will now see a major publicity campaign (hello Paul) selling "improved" facilities which people will pay handsomely for, increases in anything that was chargeable before and an obsession with control and management.

Arguably that formula delivered a successful slick commercial product in BSB but at the cost of astronomical price rises to riders and teams. At least the ACU don't now see the TT as a commercial competitor and we shouldn't see date clashes with BSB as we did before. One hopes they will invest some of their new-found riches back in the races - time will tell, though of course the profits will now be diverted away from local entrepreneurs and to the mainland ACU.

It is disappointing that IOMG clearly has so little faith in their own people and one must ask if the MMCC had been given the same carte blanche and budget as the ACU will have whether they could have achieved the same things. It comes as no surprise to me that a bunch of amateurs (however experienced and well-meaning people) did not fill their own bosses with confidence. There have been some spectacularly bad shows in recent years where the ACU have felt compelled to step in to drag the MMCC out of the mire, and the events have been rather run down in content and organisers' commitment.

I will be interested to see how this affects the MGP, and event that is already struggling. Either the MMCC will be able to focus its efforts on running it better or else it has been left to die. Watch this space.

Like Tomcat i wonder what the future of the manx now holds. As the last link with the TT has now been cut. The future of the manx now relies on wether the tourist board will continue to support it. The grids are suffering due to the course license which has increased the financial commitment beyond alot of lads. I know that they are looking the classes for next year. But will riders swop machines just to do the manx. Reduce the course license requirement and we might start to increase the grids

DClucie;part of any good manager's job is to stamp out rumours at source, especially if they are false, but also if they happen to be correct and could alert the paying public to any unpleasant side effects of policy decisions.
Generational differences between policy makers and those affected often result in unreasoned negativity on the public side and a hardening of resolve on the executive side. Neither contribute to rational debate or good policy formation.
All of us on the receiving side of policy can only hope that well reasoned judgment is being exercised rather than some MBA school 'theory of the month', or worse still cronyism.

"The price of freedom is eternal vigilance."
Thomas Jefferson (1743 - 1826)

'Freedom to speak, freedom to a point of view and a freedom to debate'

Very profound, and sounds like the philosophy of TTwebsite!
Oh... we do also encourage the freedom to be nice to each other!! Lol!

Yes Don, freedom of speach is a great leveler and extremely painful to those in high office when the flames of honesty start to lick around there nuts.

Just as when serious honest questions where targeted at that upstart dummy huckster at the ACU with the MBE and MEB started to panick and he shut their forum down because he could not come up with any honest or credible answers.