ISLE OF MAN Police Chief Constable Mike Langdon has been drafted in
as the new TT Chief Marshal. Langdon has replaced TT Marshals
Association stalwart Roger Hurst, who resigned following an ear-
bashing from Manx coroner Michael Moyle in his inquest verdict on
three deaths at the 26th Milestone during last year’s Senior TT.
The appointment was announced by Manx tourism minister Adrian
Earnshaw, who heads up the TT coordinating committee, in the Island’s
House of Keys parliament on Tuesday 29 April.
Comedians in the TT Marshals Association are already asking whether
they will now be expected to enforce the 30mph speed limits in built-
up areas during racing, with the boys in blue running the show.
On a more serious note, one veteran marshal suggests that this move
may lead to a bigger risk of the red flag going out to stop a race,
given Langdon’s commitment to governmental health-and-safety culture.
In the past, TT organisers have always avoided red-flagging races -
even though paramedics and marshals might be crossing the track to
aid a stricken rider. This is because of the impossibility of
restarting on the day and further difficulties with rescheduling a
restart to another day in a packed race-week programme. Instead,
competitors are briefed to ride cautiously under waved yellows and
watch out for rescue personnel.
Coroner Moyle said that, in his view, the 2007 Senior should have
been red-flagged, given that the leading riders were already over the
Mountain on their last lap.
