The inaugural edition of TT News went on sale in 1976 and featured a picture of Dave Croxford on the cover leaping over Ballaugh Bridge on the NVT Challenge.

The bike was the Norton Challenge P86, also known as the Norton Cosworth, designed by Keith Duckworth of Cosworth Engineering for Norton Motorcycles.

It was described by some as the bike that could have saved the British motorcycle industry.

The bike pictured only started one TT – the 1976 Classic, and it failed to finish that.

The four-time British Champion rode in 10 TTs between 1965 and 1976, but only finished three of those. However, he was one-half of the winning partnership with Alex George that took the victory laurels in the 1975 Production 10-lapper on a Triumph Trident known as ‘Slippery Sam’.

In a YouTube clip with Alex George, the jovial Londoner said: ‘You won that race Alex, but I did enjoy riding Slippery Sam, and most importantly I didn’t crash it’.

He claimed to have crashed no fewer than 223 times when racing, without breaking a single bone. Super-fit, he is now in his mid-80s and still riding his bike.

‘Crox’ was once quoted as saying: ‘The Isle of Man was just a big pub to me, the racing got in the way.’

Geoff Cannell, a great character in his own right, wrote and compiled the first edition of TT News. In his introductory comment on page three, he wrote: ‘There’s no doubt about it – the Isle of Man TT can be knocked about from pillar to post, but just when it’s at its lowest ebb the meeting comes up with something to chill the blood of even the most cynical of enthusiasts.

‘Nowhere else in the world creates such interest as the Snaefell Mountain Course – talked about wherever motorcycles are ridden.’

1976 was the final TT to be included in the FIM World Road Race Championship. By then, most of the top-line riders had turned their backs on the event, but leading star names on the line included Jon Ekerold, Takazumi Katayama, Mick Grant, George O’Dell, Siegfried Schauzu, Chas Mortimer, Tom Herron, John and Charlie Williams.

For the record, the winners 50 years ago this week were: Senior 500cc and Lightweight 250cc – Tom Herron, Junior 350cc - Chas Mortimer; Classic 1000cc – John Williams; Production TT - Mortimer and Bill Simpson (250 Yamaha); Sidecar 500cc - Rolf Steinhausen/Josef Huber; 1000cc – Mac Hobson/Mick Burns.

Herron’s 250cc win elevated him from fourth to first in the world standings. He beat Katayama and Mortimer in the race.

The latter, who won the Junior from Tony Rutter and Billy Guthrie, moved up to third in the 350cc standings topped by Johnny Cecotto. Walter Villa was one point clear of Herron in second.

Mortimer and Herron finished third and fourth in the final 350cc standings behind Villa and Cecotto.

Villa also won the 250cc title on the Aermacchi Harley-Davidson from Katayama, with Villa’s team-mate Franco Bonera third, Herron fourth and Mortimer seventh.

Herron finished 13th in the 500cc standings (with only one other top-10 finish), Jack Findlay and John Williams the best of the TT regulars in eighth and ninth respectively.

Pat Hennen, third in the final standings on Rod Coleman’s Suzuki (behind Barry Sheene and Teuvo Länsivuori) made his TT bow 12 months later.

Steinhausen and Huber went on to win the sidecar title in 1976.

- Don’t miss Media Isle of Man’s free TT News supplements inside the Isle of Man Examiner and Manx Independent over the festival fortnight.

Each edition will be packed with features, reports and all the latest news.