Meetings 1991 - 2009

TT 2001

The Foot and Mouth crisis in the UK caused the eventual cancellation of the TT Races, only the third time in their illustrious history that the races had been cancelled - the two previous occasions being the World Wars 1914-1918 and 1939 - 1945.

It was not a straightforward decision however, as it was debated within the Tynwald, the Isle of Man's Parliament.

The first outbreak in the adjacent island was on February 20th, the first for twenty years in the UK. Over the next two months more than 1300 cases were reported, with the disease spreading to Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Eire. Thirty-four pigs were destroyed on the Island after it was discovered they had arrived on the Island after having passed through an UK exclusion zone on their journey to the new home.

It was to be April 24th, before the then Chief Minister Donald Gelling announced to Tynwald, and the Manx media informed the world, that the TT had been cancelled.

The TT may well have been called off, but an alternative TT Festival was planned for the thousands of bikers who had already booked their accommodation and travel tickets and did not wish to lose their hard earned money. It was planned to run the Southern 100 and Manx Grand Prix, but they to were affected and, with much regret, cancelled by the organisers.