The organisers of the 2020 Beatson's
Mull Rally have stated that a final decision on whether this year's event will
run or not will be taken by the team and the island on the 24th of July. By
that time the picture will be clearer on lockdown/isolation rules.
Although it has been encouraging to note that such a relaxation is now
underway, we daren't get ahead of ourselves. The folk who organise the rally
have two major considerations, not just one. They not only need the goodwill
and support of competitors, officials and spectators but they also need the
permission of the islanders.
So far, the Isle of Mull is a Covid19 free zone so it is quite
understandable that some folk are nervous about opening up their island to such
an influx from all corners of the UK. For sure the island needs the income after
a barren and difficult year but that has to be weighed against the risk to public
health. A difficult decision looms - either way!
Anyway, I just thought it would be timely to reprint a Column which was
written for Rally Sport Mag 30 years ago this year. This was written
immediately after the running of the first Closed Road Rally on 'mainland'
Britain. And yes, I know the Isle of Man is an island too, but IOM have their
own 'Parliament' and laws whereas Mull is regulated by Westminster and also now
Edinburgh.
History records that this momentous event was won by Andy Knight and Mike
Corner in a rather special 1600cc 'lightweight' Vauxhall Nova which had been loaned
to them by Kendal based Atkinsons Motor Sport. Neil MacKinnon was leading till
his Escort's engine failed with second placed Knight taking over and crossing
the finish line some 6 minutes clear of Ron Beecroft in his 2.3 Escort. History
was made.
Anyway, here's the Column and as usual no changes have been made to the
text. It reflects what happened and what was said at the time so if you are too
young to recall some of the names then lift the phone and call one of the auld
gits or club members and ask for information. They'll appreciate the call given
these strange times in which we currently live ...
The Column ...
It's not only
footballers who cry. At the prizegiving following the 21st Gemini Tour of Mull
Rally I distinctly saw tears. They were perched precariously on the edges of
Brian Molyneux's red rimmed eyes as it slowly dawned on him that he and the
rest of his cohorts in 2300 Club had achieved a minor motor sporting miracle -
the first ever closed public road stage rally on the `mainland' of Britain.
The rally set
another record too. At an hour and forty minutes it was one of the longest
post-event prizegivings in motor sport. The only folk who minded were those who
were unable to squeeze into the already jam-packed Aros Hall in Tobermory High
Street. Brian Molyneux was first to speak and he publicly thanked all those who
helped, from loyal club members to local councillors, from regional authorities
to the Houses of Parliament and there were words of praise too for the RAC MSA,
the RSAC and long time supporters Shell.
There was
silence in the hall for that emotional speech as the crowd realised they had
just taken part in a little bit of motor sporting history. Then it was Taff's
turn. The Welsh accent embellished his words as he sang the praises of one man,
and it was this that tingled the tear ducts. After Brian had heaped praise on
all those who had helped to make the event possible, Taff put the record
straight, but for the tenacity and vision of one man, the whole project would
never have happened. Brian Molyneux was 95% responsible for this unique event.
A fact confirmed by Argyll & Bute Member of Parliament Mrs Ray Michie who
steered the necessary Bill through Parliament.
The tears still
hadn't quite fallen but Eddie O'Donnell put the matter beyond doubt when he
made a presentation to Brian on behalf of the people of Mull. Two specially
commissioned framed photographs were presented, one showing Tobermory Bay and
the other depicting what Brian has often described as the most glorious sight
ever, Glengorm Castle at sunset. That was it, handkerchief time!
The rally itself
differed only slightly from past selective events. The route followed the
traditional pattern of Friday night and Saturday night sections with a Saturday
afternoon daylight run through the forests. It was however, shorter than usual
with only around 70 miles of stages on each overnight run compared with over a
hundred miles of selectives. This was a sensible move in light of the necessity
for a problem-free inaugural event and entries had been restricted to 100 cars
for similar reasons.
There were a few
hiccups regarding the different Marshalling, Timing and route marking requirements
but this was to be expected on their first attempt at a `proper' special stage
rally. There was however, no shortage of manpower, and one marvels at the
dedication of the Marshals who flock to the island annually, at their own
expense. After years of experience, safety and communications offer little
problem although the `Raynet' amateur radio group have to set up four hill-top
relay stations to cover the whole island. It might come as a surprise to those
who have never been to Mull, but this 350 square mile lump of grass and rockery
off the west coast of Scotland is far from flat!
The road closure
procedure worked pretty well too. It had to really, with three different Police
traffic authorities represented on the island, increasing the normal Police
presence from 5 to 14 officers. Two cars ran ahead of the rally, the first
carried visiting dignitaries but it was the second traffic car which officially
closed the route. After the rally had passed, the organisers had an `opening'
car with illuminated roof-top sign bringing up the rear. Most spectators were
pretty responsible and respected the road closure orders, but there was one
minor panic when a drunk driver crashed through a `road closed' sign on Friday
night at Dervaig. The Police then howled off in pursuit and quickly caught up
with him to find that he was a likely customer for the wee green balloon. I can
however deny the rumour that the Police had to send over to the mainland on
Saturday morning for more disc pads for their Rover SD1!
The island of
Mull is perhaps the only place in Britain at the moment that could host a
closed public road rally. If anyone thinks this motor sporting precedent is
about to herald a whole new way of rallying, then forget it. The costs and the
paperwork would defy many organisers. Equally important, there has to be, not
just the public will, but the active support of the local inhabitants. And that
is where Mull scores. In this strictly controlled environment the vast majority
of the 2,000 inhabitants are all for it. And then there's the atmosphere. Can
you imagine any other event in the world which holds pre-event Scrutineering
INSIDE the local distillery?