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This would be a truly terrible idea in my opinion, first of all the TT races nowadays are wholly dependent on the weather so if the weather is poor at the weekend what happens then, also what happens on the days when there is no racing on? The great thing about the TT format the way it is is that when you go over you will see some racing, now they want to introduce a 5 day gap between race days in the hope the weekend won't be a washout?

If this happens and I really hope it doesn't the number of visitors will surely drop because everyone will be trying to get there for a race weekend for which there are a limited number of ferry crossings and flights. The demand will be insane. The thing I love about the TT is it's flexibility in that it takes place over a fortnight so the schedule can be jiggled about to suit and visiting people get to see some action regardless.

I for one won't continue to travel and marshal if the two weekend plan is put in place, but then again this is from MCN and I stopped reading that rag years ago.

Bearing in mind the publication from which this came, I would have reservations.  However, IF Mr Philips is backing this idea then my personal opinion is that he should walk away from the TT.  This is an appalling idea.

They will learn in the end, if ain't broke don't fix it.

(20-06-2016, 05:26 PM)Smidsy Wrote: I for one won't continue to travel and marshal if the two weekend plan is put in place, but then again this is from MCN and I stopped reading that rag years ago.

And so it starts - looks like Paul Philips isn't bailing out to Cloud 9 with the other jettisoned DED staff!, its noticeable that in the list of bodies to be consulted the paying fans appear to be awol. Now that the effect of the changes in the last few years has started to result in a drop in numbers to those who can be bothered to fight their way to the island against all the odds, I would have thought that the first priority would be to sort out the transport issues. The shortage of ferry places deters or prevents many visitors and those that do get across have endured something approaching a Japanese game show test; all for the privilege of been ripped off by the steam racket.

We all know that running the senior on a Saturday has been impossible for years because of lack of marshals, many of my manx mates will marshal on the bank holiday but won't do the Saturday and i doubt many of the comeovers will fork out to spend more time on the Island to allow Cloud9 to make a profit out of them. Given that you still need practice before the first race, in reality this means that you would have to be on the island for about three weeks or decide to miss something. it also means that the accommodation will become more complicated, most likely would be that they would split the TT into packages of x nights so they don't have voids.

 The biggest risk of course is the weather and its just not going to fit into a schedule, I remember watching the senior a couple of years ago at Brandywell at about 7 or 8 oclock and I was at the airport when they re-started the senior after the bray hill incident. We all know how many times racing has been delayed because of housefires, pregnant ladies, cars left on the course/slip roads and, quite frequently, serious RTCs just before roads close, its only a year since we didn't get a senior at all. You would have to be a very brave broadcaster to try and fit that into a global schedule and imagine how much nonsense Witham could spout in a six hour delay.

On top of that what will definitely happen is there will be even more pressure to start races in less than ideal condiitions, at the moment pressure from the senior riders like JM130 means that they don't go if its raining anywhere but, once money is involved, pressure will be applied - i once had a big crash at Donnington and made the mistake of opening my eyes at which point they cancelled the helicopter and stuck me in an old st johns ambulance to the circuit medical centre - they told me that if the helicopter had taken me to nottingham they would have had to postpone the main BTCC race which was live on telly. After they counted my arms and legs i was released after 20 mins only to find out some months  later that I had broken two vertibrae in my neck and a good nod could have been serious, by then I'd completed the season!

I doubt they would have two weekends with no races in between, I suspect that they would move the classic festival to fill in and the manx will be killed off its what they have wanted for some time because they can't make money from it.

Is there really a push behind the scenes to kill off the Manx?

Yes, there certainly is.
They push push push the classic part of MGP and once that is over by Monday of race week the coverage and hype switches off like a light bulb, and the MGP proper gets little or no press at all.

If this is allowed to happen , i see the end of the TT races we all know and love.It has already started as the push for the corporate attendance shows to the detriment of the true TT enthusiast.

You do wonder what sort of live coverage they are thinking of. When you look what BBC NI put into covering the NW200, it would need to be some set-up.

From memory the NW has about 8 live cameras covering about 1 mile of track with the helicopter covering the remaining 7 or so miles. I don't think watching a long range overhead view would make good TV. With a significant part of the TT track being through tree lined roads, the other option of live on-board feeds, as per the WRC coverage, would only be of use for maybe 50% of the course. I think most broadcasters would look at the logistics and opt for the current post event report coverage.

But like others I think the clincher will be if they look at the number of delayed race starts over the past 10 years, especially the Senior, to convince them not to put their schedules at risk.

Here we go again, bright ideas that have no outcome. who thinks of these.

What an insult to the history of the TT races these people are ignorant and that includes MCN i lremember a few years back when they could'nt be bothered hardly to cover the TT and then thats when i stopped buying it.if the way foreward is corporate partys and the real fans take a back seat there going to be a big drop in attendances to the TT.

(20-06-2016, 06:47 PM)badlyoverdrawnboy Wrote: its noticeable that in the list of bodies to be consulted the paying fans appear to be awol.

As do the local residents!!

These guys are so far up their own arses with management bulls*** and words like "stakeholders" that they've forgotten arguably the two most significant groups of people. The fans and the resident population. This obsession with TV and a growing the event is unhealthy.

The event is unique and doesn't require any selling or growing. Take the vision9 cash and spend it on recticell. Save people not money.

Unfortunately in this world, "money talks" and it will be the suits in the boardrooms fighting for the event to continue on our behalf against the health and safety brigade who would have the event banned - as long as they can keep making money from it. So careful what you wish for!

It's a  daft move! It seems the TT organisers are more interested in Mr &Mrs TV addict than TT visitors who actually boost the Islands economy with their hard earned cash! Yer average Joe Soap will watch it on tv but won't necessarily book to go the next year! Especially when they see how difficult and expensive it is. Wonder what the privateer teams, residents and most importantly the Marshalls think of this nonsense!

One event could be screened live the Saturday F1 then any damage caused by the weather could be managed with hi-lights. Surly the company are sensible enough to understand their is no guarantee of a live feed when safe flying conditions can not be guaranteed for the helicopter accident quick pickup system.

Kilbil

Yet again the quest to get more "prawn sandwich" brigade to follow the TT is set to spoil the event for the fan who actually visit the island and have been keeping the event going for all these years, it also doesn't look like they have taken the marshals into consideration ether, with all the big ideas yet on my way home on the ferry on the Monday after race week there were no seats available for us so we had to sit on the floor I'm all for improvement but it seems to be focused on the wrong things, a quick buck now off the tele mob will see the returning fan look at other events to attend. It's also a shame the way they want to get rid of the Manx GP and in my own opinion is the life blood for keeping the TT going.

Almost every major sport and sporting event has been moved to accommodate TV viewers in the last decade or so. No consideration is ever given to fans attending as although they make more effort to get to the venue than those watching on TV the scale of monetary income from TV outweighs that from live humans watching by far. As has been said - money talks.

Whilst the IoM government (DED) were in control then perhaps there would be more consideration for those attending and putting money into the coffers island-wide. With an event promoter in control their agenda is different and so therefore will their plans of what they would like to happen. Their view is much narrower and focussed.