Tom, Sorry mate but your attack on Paul Phillips is without foundation and cannot be justified. Paul is employed by the IOM Department of Tourism and Leisure working with the Special Events unit.(I'm sure Paul will correct me if I am wrong) I believe he gave up a far better paid job to take it. Because he believes passionately in what he's doing.

For the last six months he and Milky have been working flat out to persuade, cajole, bribe, bully, threaten (joke) riders into signing up for TT 2006; while, in the background, I know there have been people working just as hard to stop the TT and MGP ever running again.

Paul has no influence over the ACU. The MMCC are the ones who were party to the licence deal. David Cretney and the rest of the DoTL were totally in the dark and left to pick up the pieces when it was announced.

If the ACU won't talk or reply to letters from members and representative bodies within the ACU, what makes you think that un-representative body (DoTL) would fare any better.

The MMCC agreed to the licence proposals at a meeting in Rugby. The argument should be with those who were party to that agreement. Certainly not the Tourist Board and the very people who have had to work round this issue.

And don't think I agree with what has been done, have a look at the ACU message board and see who proposed taking this to a solicitor in the first place.