"Getaway" Gets Caught

“Getaway” Gets Caught

Sir,

I watched with interest the BBC-2 coverage of the RAC Lombard Rally and through your excellent publication I would be obliged to be afforded the space to make a few comments.

First. I was more than surprised to hear the great Stuart Turner make a few boobs— Nigel Rockey at no time climbed to fifth place if one was to believe BBC radio and other media. Rockey excelled himself to climb to seventh on the Monday night. Secondly, Brendan Curley in the Datsun was none other than the Londonderry driver C. B. Curley, and he was listed in the programme in error as Brendan. Stuart T. should have corrected, not added to, the mistake and called him by his proper name—Cahal.

I must ask Mr. Turner and BBC-2’s “Getaway” producers why they should have approached the entire venture with an inferiority complex. Yes the crowds on Saturday in Wales were in their thousands. If not, surely motoring sport—or rallying— would be dead as unlike league soccer, etc., the RAC is a one-off—the climax of the British rallying year. Overdue lads, I should think ! I feel Mr. Turner should have left that aspect out and dwelt More on the differences between the “works” cars and those driven by the Colemans and the Boyds of the event.

I was also left with the opinion that the “invision” shots with Stuart reading his “idiot boards” with his head slung sideways, slowed the tempo of the film and in fact made an excellent action story into a moderate report. In fact our local TV set-up in Ireland have at times given us better coverage of rallying even though they claim to suffer from lack of finance, facilities and indeed manpower. Perhaps their reporters and directors have a closer contact with the sport?

Finally, I must say that the “Getaway” people and Stuart Turner did short-change our own Billy Coleman. One mention was hardly enough for the RAC Champion, and it was he—not Nigel Rockey and John Taylor— who carried the British flag for most of the rally. He did climb to fifth place at one stage.

Nevertheless, rather than slay the programme any more, I should say that it is great to see the great BBC give such coverage to the RAC event. Perhaps they might come to Ireland some time and take a look at one of our International events with stage mileage on proper stages, not the Mickey Mouse cart track miles from nowhere. Furthermore, a real welcome will be afforded the visitors— despite the present sad political climate. That aspect is best left to the hot-heads.

Dalkey, Co. Dublin. SIMON JONES

PS.—Oh yes, prize money in Ireland is better than in the UK as well for some strange reason, and it seems to pass unnoticed as far as the rally scribes are concerned.