Onlookers and officials at the Grandstand readying TT competitor 22 to get away, 1928

Date(s): (1928) 1972

Creator(s): Manx Museum and National Trust

Scope & Content: 1972 copy of a 1928 photograph.

The Isle of Man Tourist Trophy (TT) scoreboard, 1928. The leader board and Scouts are in view; also advertising hoarding for Brico piston rings.

This image was taken at the start of the 1928 Junior TT. Motorcycle number 22, a Velocette, was ridden by Alec Bennett, who won the race. Also in the picture is number 23, Jim Whalley on a Douglas, who finished twenty first.

This print was one of at least seven displayed in a 1972 exhibition of Taggart images at the Manx Museum. The print is effectively the master image now given the negative is not with the other Taggart resources.

Since the first TT in 1907 the scoreboard has had several iterations in multiple locations. Between 1907 and 1911 it was located at St John's, before the Mountain course came into use. Between 1911 and 1913 the scoreboard was on Bray Hill, Douglas and was also used for motorcar races. In 1914, the scoreboard moved to St Ninian's crossroads before finally relocating to Glencrutchery Road, opposite the current Grandstand.

The TT scoreboard was operated by hand, by volunteers and the Isle of Man Scouts Association. Each rider had a section of the scoreboard dedicated to them, showing their number. In this section there was a clock, a 'tear-off', the lap time and a light. The ‘tear offs’ indicated which lap each rider was on (including an ‘R’ for ‘retired’) and the lap time was hand painted on a slate in a box below. Above the tear-off section was a clock face with four sections: Grandstand, Glen Helen, Ramsey Hairpin and Bungalow, indicating which section of the TT course a rider had passed through on their lap. Underneath was a light, which showed when the rider had reached Cronk Ny Mona and was therefore shortly due at the Start/Finish line, to warn crews to be ready for a pit stop. The entire board was split into two halves, with each half displaying the same information, so that it could be viewed from each end of the Grandstand.

The scoreboard was deemed unfit for continued use and its last year of operation was 2019. Sections of it are in the Manx Museum's TT Gallery.

Language: eng

Extent: 31 x 39 cm

Item name: copy photographic print

Collection: Photographic Archive

Level: ITEM

ID number: PG/13630/10/001

Subject tags : #TT&MOTORSPORT

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