This has been decided, for obvious reasons, because of the pandemic, as large gatherings of people in close proximity on the Isle of Man and on the transport links necessary to get the folks there are not advisable at the moment. Clearly this is a devastating blow for all TT fans and for the Island's vibrant, energetic and unique TT event. The Isle of Man's economy will also suffer hugely, but in these testing times, things are changing rapidly to keep people safe, so it was really inevitable.

This is the first time since the Foot and Mouth outbreak in 2001 that the TT has been cancelled.

The decision was finally definitively made last night, as the government moved to limit social contact and public events in an attempt to slow the progress of the Coronavirus

In a statement yesterday, Laurence Skelly MHK, Minister for Enterprise, said:

‘The decision to cancel has not been taken lightly and all options including postponement and delaying the decision have been considered in detail. Representatives from the Isle of Man Government will now discuss the implications with all relevant businesses, stakeholders and individuals affected by this cancellation, which it recognises will be significant.

‘With the visitor restriction in place for the foreseeable future we wanted to make the decision now to give businesses, visitors and all involved stakeholders time to manage the impact going forward. The Isle of Man, and the Isle of Man TT, are faced with unique challenges regarding COVID-19 and making this decision will provide certainty to teams, competitors, sponsors and stakeholders of the event and to visitors across the globe.

‘The decision also aims to provide reassurance for our residents and healthcare professionals that the health and well-being of the Isle of Man’s residents is the single biggest priority and focus of this Government.’

The department for Enterprise and Treasury are examining options for supporting businesses on the island which are affected by the TT cancellation, and the resulting loss of income - of which there are plenty - and will announce support measures later today.

Currently discussions are in progress with the Manx Motorcycle Club to look at the possibility of running the Classic TT and Manx Grand Prix which are due in August. Obviously, for all road race lovers, this would be amazing, but perhaps it's not advisable to hold your breath on this one - it is frankly looking unlikely as things stand at the moment.

This is just one of the blows which have beset the sporting world recently as many events are now being cancelled for safety reasons, so maybe it's just a case of keeping on keeping on and thinking how much we will appreciate it when it's back!

We'll dig out some pictures of TTs past to cheer you up and tide you over till next year when, hopefully, the TT will be back in all its glory!