Right, let me just say my piece about all this:
Clearly this situation has been blown out of proportions by certain people, and this needs to stop. Now.
I will make this very clear and say this only once. I am NOT here to replace Liam. Never have been, never will be. Damian approached me off his own back to ask me to be WC commentator, and I've still got the messages to prove it if anyone still chooses not to believe me after the end of this post. Liam himself is a good commentator, the fact that he won the Autosport Commentary competition only vindicates that further, and he genuinely deserved to win it. Now, I don't dislike Liam at all. I think he's a great kid and he is very passionate about becoming a motorsport commentator. I will make it very clear I'm not trying to steal his thunder or tread all over his dream. I'm sure as hell not that kind of person in any way shape or form.
Also I will stress that in my initial reply to Damian when he offered the role, I made it very clear that I did NOT want Liam to be left out in the cold in any shape or form, as this would not have been fair on him whatsoever. He deserves to continue commentating here to improve and develop his skills. Heck, just look where it got Jack Nicholls! I genuinely hope that Liam efforts will get him noticed and he goes on to fulfill his dream, because he deserves to.
Now, as for my comment about Liam cutting across me, I will be honest and say that at times while I was saying my bit on the broadcast on a particular or something, Liam would start talking at the same time which would lead me to stop and let him continue. John-Eric made a very good point in saying that it's very hard to judge when to go from one person to the other, and he's right. I could have been a prick and just kept talking over him to force him to stop, but that's not the kind of commentator or person I am and again it wouldn't have been fair.
I fully understand that I'm the new guy entering someone else's territory so to speak and I'm not looking to claim it for my own in any way shape or form. I just don't appreciate people stirring up rumours and rubbish about me when they really don't know the truth. Also, in all fairness, if Liam really did have that much of a problem about it, I really do fail to see how it was so difficult to just come to me, be a man about it and just talk it out, instead of having to run to the admins making me out to be the enemy and causing this whole situation.
At the end of the day, if you like my commentary then I appreciate that. If not - fair enough. Haters can hate in my opinion so it's really no skin off my back. I personally feel very privileged that Damian even asked me in the first place! I know how big FSR is and Liam is very, very fortunate to get to commentate here due to his ability. Any sim race I commentate on, I give it 100%, as does Liam. Yes, we all make mistakes, it's natural, it's human nature. I'm not saying I'm any better than Liam and vice versa. In fact, he's more experienced that I am! We're both still quite young so we have a long, long time to continually develop and improve.
What I don't appreciate, however, is coming in here because someone asked me to and instantly get made out to be the one in the wrong when quite frankly I haven't done anything. So this rubbish that's all been stirred up needs to stop, and it needs to stop now.
Oh and one more thing - if any of you guys have any problems with me, you step up, be a man about it and come say it to my face. You will have my respect much more if you're big enough to do that then playing chinese whispers with everyone else behind my back and me finding out the hard way.
I hope this has gone at least some way to clear things up.
