Darren Geater, A statement.

[Wycombe Royal]

1. No-one said it had replica written across it.

Yes they did. First post on the following link from Keeper.
http://hobnob.royals.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=46510&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=80

2. WHO has been threatening your wife and kids wanting to know your address??

On that same thread someone said about contacting other Ebay members to get his address. Some might feel threatened by that.

3. If the only reason you bought one of these medals was to sell it on for a big profit, then I do not retract one word of what I have written on the other thread.

Many people look for opportunities to make money in this world. As long as it isn't illegal then there is nowt wrong with it.

[RIP ELM Park]

The original ad however was misleading, in that it claimed to be an original medal, when in fact it's a copy. (even if it dosn't have copy writtenon it)

No problem with the fact someone wants to make money selling it. Just that the advert was misleading, either intentionally or not.

I would assume when the medal is resold it's true provenance will be stated.

[Platypuss]

p.s Yes same I.P address but just over protective son using his own comp. Again you assumed and never asked! Start clever but ended dumb.

What was assumed then? I merely posted to show that the apparently independent backup was actually nothing of the kind.

You're doing a great job of starting dumb and ending dumber - please carry on; it's rather amusing.

[Royal Lady]

1. No-one said it had replica written across it.

Yes they did. First post on the following link from Keeper.
http://hobnob.royals.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=46510&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=80

2. WHO has been threatening your wife and kids wanting to know your address??

On that same thread someone said about contacting other Ebay members to get his address. Some might feel threatened by that.

3. If the only reason you bought one of these medals was to sell it on for a big profit, then I do not retract one word of what I have written on the other thread.

Many people look for opportunities to make money in this world. As long as it isn't illegal then there is nowt wrong with it.

For point 2. I don't consider that threatening - asking for someone's address isn't a threat in itself.

Point 3. Could be considered illegal in that he didn't disclose it was a replica medal - the advert on ebay was misleading - no mention of the word replica or copy at all.

Should RFC ever win any more medals - I would suggest they vet very carefully to whom they give replica copies to.

[rabidbee]

1. No-one said it had replica written across it. However, as far as I am concerned, it was a copy and this was not stated in the ebay advert that I saw.

To be fair, I suggested that it might have had replica written on it. I'm amazed that the league issue replicas that aren't clearly different from the originals, myself.

[Royal Lady]

fair comment. However, I don't see Keeper mentioning anything about it having "replica" on it in their post. You may have said something along those lines Rabidee.

Basically, the guy saw a quick buck and thought he'd make it. He was a bit silly in trying to sell it so soon after we got promotion imho and together with the fact that Leroy had one stolen, the timing could have been much better.

If you're not a fan of RFC you wouldn't want a replica medal and this guy's motive from the start was to make money. If he had that much of a conscience, maybe he'd have offered Leroy his replica medal - after all, you can't tell the difference.

[BenReadingFC]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=58385&item=110013081702

[Keeper]

Mr Geater

Can I just say that I didn't accuse you of stealing the medal, I asked the Club as soon as I saw it if it was above board and it was someone through the Club, I did not go to eBay nor did I contact the police, I did just ask the question of whether or not anyone knew about it.

I am suprised someone who worked hard behind the scenes would sell their medal on as many on here would love to have one to remember this season.

My intentions were to find out what was happening and why it was on sale, I did not intend for it to go as far as it has.

However I do stand by what I have said as i'm disappointed that someone would sell it and that the message on the ebay item did tend to indicate that it was one given to the players and management staff rather than one that was purchased by a member of staff.

Donating the money to Whizz-Kids is a very nice thing to do, I disagree with selling it but I didn't want any of this to happen.

Keeper

PS I took offence to andypandy being nasty to Royal Lady, he should have done it to everyone if anyone at all, but RL I don't know who he is there may have been a slight misunderstanding earlier

[Keeper]

1. No-one said it had replica written across it.

Yes they did. First post on the following link from Keeper.
http://hobnob.royals.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=46510&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=80

I didn't say it had replica, I said without the word replica as someone else had been saying that it had it one there and I was confirming that they don't

[royalsteve]

1. No-one said it had replica written across it. However, as far as I am concerned, it was a copy and this was not stated in the ebay advert that I saw.

2. WHO has been threatening your wife and kids wanting to know your address??

3. If the only reason you bought one of these medals was to sell it on for a big profit, then I do not retract one word of what I have written on the other thread.

4. I fail to see how you, as a plumber, helped the team achieve promotion. Please explain.

* Disclaimer: I think plumbers do a great job and I'm not belittling your occupation, merely the notion that you, in some way, along with ticket office staff, coaching staff, admin staff etc, players and the manager helped get RFC promoted.

dont see what he has done wrong in selling it other than stating it is a replica.....what is wrong with buying something and selling it for profit......are you saying all businesses should close then...i guess you have never sold anything at profit then

[bracknell loyal royal!]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=58385&item=110013081702

LOL

[andypandy]

oh dear royal lady we are confused know aren't we................trust me if as much as f--t this afternoon, if i don't smell it i will definately hear it. you don't realise how close you are to me!!!!!!!

[Avon Royal]

oh dear royal lady we are confused know aren't we................trust me if as much as f--t this afternoon, if i don't smell it i will definately hear it. you don't realise how close you are to me!!!!!!!

Ooooh, it's just like Scream!

[Schards#2]

oh dear royal lady we are confused know aren't we................trust me if as much as f--t this afternoon, if i don't smell it i will definately hear it. you don't realise how close you are to me!!!!!!!

Well if she isn't confused then I certainly am. I don't understand a word of that illiterate garbage.

[topfuller]

You're doing a great job of starting dumb and ending dumber - please carry on; it's rather amusing.

LOL

[Dai Brainbocs]

It staggers me that the club would be so cheap as to SELL medals to backroom staff, rather than give them one each if it thinks it's appropriate for them to go beyond the playing/coaching team.

If a championship medal can change hands for money as long as the club pockets it, I don't see that Mr Geater has done anything different in principle.

[AndyRFC]

Have fun receiving your P45 in the post Darren. I beleive contributing to this forum breaches your contract.

[susieroyal]

I've not read a great deal about this story, but if he doesn't support Reading why would he want to keep the medal?

If I had a medal if for example Derby won something, I wouldn't keep it (although I'd probably just give it to a Derby fan).

The club must have known that someone would want to sell it. Was there some sort of clause in buying the medal? - i.e. not for re-sale. If not, this was a little naive by the club.

[fridays child]

Just think of all the problems that would never had happened if only Darren had been a bit less economical with the truth in the Auction.

[Forbury Lion]

Whether the guy deserves a medal or not is irrelevent, The club let him have/buy one without a stipulation that it couldn't be sold (I'm guessing that last bit), so that's where you should point the finger.

If I worked for Chelsea and they offered me a replica medal I'd take them up on the offer and then sell it and use the proceeds for my next Reading season ticket renewal.

He's done nothing wrong.

The club should have obtained spare medals and put them on display and/or made them available to people like Leroy who had his nicked.