Some of the stories that are coming to light after this years TT are beginning to sound rather ominous.

People or small organisations who have provided:-

• Services, for sale of articles/spares to competitors.
  
  This group of people were told "You are not wanted in the paddock area" again information that has been relayed to me that I can only take as factual as it came from a reliable source. In addition, they were also informed that quite a "heavy" fee would be a requirement from them, if indeed they wished to pay it and continue doing what they have done for many years.
  
  The TT & Motorsport Development Manager has not as yet addressed this point as raised previously on this forum, as he is engaged in a 24hour fund raising event over the week-end.
  

• A Charitable Organisation who has GIVEN away refreshments and counselling to Riders, Mechanics, Officials, Marshalls and Team members for something like 30 years. An organisation that has bought and given away to competitors who have ran out of money, tyres, chains, and fuel. They have supplied to people, food when they have ran out of it. Even given/lent people cash to get home. All without any requirement for recompense.
  
  This is really a terribly sad story in that all of the work that they have carried out over the years has been systematically "chipped away" at for something like the past 5 years, until such time as at this years TT after having issued somewhere in excess of 500 bottles of water, free of charge, the proponent of these services was approached and informed that as a.n.other had the franchise for supplying (read "selling" ) refreshments within the Grandstand/Paddock area, he was thereby undermining the retailer and denying him the opportunity to maximise his potential income from the sale of refreshments from his franchised outlet.
  
  Said proponent was informed that he was in violation of a regulation, whereby the franchise for supplying (selling) liquid refreshment in the grandstand area had been sold to a retail firm and he was therefore not allowed to do what he was doing.
  
  It has not necesserally been a financial issue that has hampered their support services and work, but primarily people that have not wanted to understand what they are doing, (and have done for thirty years,). However the fact that that they have been informed that if they want to continue doing what they do, then what they consider to be a lot of money, will be required from them to do so.
  
  It has already been proven that riders at the TT are somewhat dehydrated after having completed their race and that the intake of liquids is paramount for them in order to aid their physical recovery from their exertions. Now they will most likely have to pay TT prices for refreshment to enable them to recover.
  
  Just a thought, how about a major sponsor who specializes in "recovery" refreshments providing adequate supplies of their product free of charge to all competitors ?
  
  

• A TT stalwart of many years standing (in excessof 50) who has been developing his own method of 3D photography, being told that he was breaking a law by taking photographs of that type, during the "TT Festival Period" and that an IOM company had the sole rights to 3D photography ????
  
  The above having already been stated in his own posting in this forum.
  
  This person is a regular contributor on this website as well as others, and is known by supporters of the TT worldwide. Not only that, he has also received an award from the IOM Authorities, for his continuing support of the TT
  
  Again, the information relayed to him at this years TT has had financial overtones attached to it by way of inferrence.
  

Is it perhaps, that the above matters are being subjected to an illicit attempt to control the areas of the available marketing opportunities that they are supposedly operating within, by what could only be described as unscrupulous persons ??


What Is Going On is the heading to this post and that is a question that I think needs answering by the relevant person(s) within, I would imagine, the TT Organising Committee, as it would appear that is where in fact, clarification should come from.


Over to you chaps to now come back with your answers.

THIS year's TT Races generated more than £23 million pounds for the Manx economy according to the Department of Economic Development.

Figures released by the department show an overall contribution of £23,374,000 – which is an increase of £4,374,000 from last year.

.........They were trying for the £5 million increase I guess !!!

(20-06-2011, 05:02 PM)ian huntly Wrote: THIS year's TT Races generated more than £23 million pounds for the Manx economy according to the Department of Economic Development.

Figures released by the department show an overall contribution of £23,374,000 – which is an increase of £4,374,000 from last year.

.........They were trying for the £5 million increase I guess !!!

Pity not many riders benefited from it