Isle of Man Tourist Trophy (TT) 'Clocks Controller' armband
Date made: 1930
Description: Green & black felt armband with gold letters 'Clocks controller'. Belonged to the donor's father R.L. Stott who for many years assisted with timings at the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy (TT) races.
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 can now be seen in the Manx Museum's TT Gallery.
Measurements: overall: 17 x 8 cm
Materials: wool
Object name: Armband
Collection: Costume & Textiles Collection
ID Number: 2004-0095/1
Subject tags : #TT&MOTORSPORT