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.