Thanks for the big build-up Ian! Yes, I wrote that article when I was 14 years old and still a pupil at Douglas High School, although it was nothing to do with the school; I wrote it off my own bat. My respect and admiration for Mike hasn't in any way diminished with the passing of time. Quite the reverse.
I sent it in to the IOM Weekly Times office for their perusal and was delighted when not only did they decide to publish it, but also they sent me a cheque in the post as payment, for the grand sum of £3.30!!
At that time I had vague ambitions of being a motor cycle race journalist, and this success spurred me on a little more. But I soon realised that to be a top journalist you needed to be pushy with people, and that wasn't me.
If you would like to use this article for whatever purpose, you are most welcome to do so. As long as anyone reading it appreciates it was written by a young boy. Ah happy days.........