Isle of Man TT Clerk of the Course offers emphatic response to online haters

The Isle of Man TT’s Clerk of the Course, Gary Thompson, admits he’s in a “no-win” situation when it comes to making tough decisions during the iconic road race. 

This comes after the 2026 TT failed to complete a full race schedule, with only half the races going ahead from start to finish. The blue riband Senior TT was brought forward from its original slot in order to try and complete the race, however, a crash on lap two resulted in red flags being waved. 

This, coupled with deteriorating weather and a lack of light, meant that the Senior race was moved once again in the hope of completing it. However, the final day of racing at this year’s TT never went ahead due to poor weather, which was a theme throughout the 2026 TT. The Senior TT was eventually declared a result following just one lap of racing.

Thompson was faced with the challenge of making very tough decisions throughout the event, some of which were unlikely to please everyone. But with safety being the most important factor to consider when running a motorcycle race, Thompson was left in somewhat of a no-win situation. Despite the Clerk of the Course, and the TT trying their hardest to complete the event, some of the decisions were still criticised on social media by boo birds, although Thompson has since responded to the criticism. 

Speaking to Manx Radio, Thompson said:  

“First and foremost, my absolute priority in anything is safety – safety of competitors –, and I won’t, will not and have not put competitors out in conditions that are not satisfactory. 

“If that means putting in a delay, then so be it. If it also means cancelling a day’s racing, then so be it. I would imagine those same individuals who do criticise me on Facebook – and I see it, people tell me about it and all that – it doesn’t really faze me, it doesn’t bother me.

“But if I was to put out a race or a qualifying session in unsatisfactory conditions and a rider got hurt, those same people would be very critical of the fact I started that qualifying session or race in the first place. I’m in a bit of a no-win situation, but that’s what I get paid for, that’s part of being clerk of the course and it’s not just me, it’s any clerk of the course really. We do what we [do] for the safety of the competitors and if people don’t like that, then so be it.”

The criticism is very odd, not least because this year’s TT unfortunately saw one rider die following an accident in qualifying. There were also two high-profile incidents in the sidecar class which led to the category being suspended, one of which included former TT podium finisher Maria Costello, who was left paralysed.

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