On Air Manx Radio Update Lewis Foster | 5:00pm - 5:30pm

New TT Scoreboard 'not a priority' admits minister

Calls for replacement by 2025 'at the latest'

The enterprise minister says he can't commit to saying whether a replacement TT Scoreboard will be in place in time for next year's races or not.

The project has currently been put 'on hold' whilst commercial funding is found. 

Earlier this week the department said a replacement would cost around £1million - a figure Tim Johnston admits will likely be surpassed once the development gets underway.

Temporary screens have been used during the event since 2022 with the previous manual scoreboard taken down due to structural issues.

Those temporary displays cost around £30,000 to use each year, which comes out of the department's budget (i.e paid for by the Manx taxpayer).

The new design plans incorporate permanent screens to display a live TV feed. Planning permission was secured in 2022.

The scoreboard itself is often regarded as a big feature of the TT, with members of the Isle of Man Scouts seen running up and down changing the numbers so that the spectators at the Grandstand could keep a track of which position their rider was in and if they were making good time. Fair to say; a novelty, and something of a fan-favourite.

Onchan MHK and former Member for Motorsport, Rob Callister, says the new scoreboard should have some digital and manual elements - but more importantly, be in place by 2025's event:

Manx Radio asked Minister Johnston if that was a possibility:

 

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