A Maidstone United supporter who fell from the upper tier of a stand at Ipswich Town’s Portman Road ground during an FA Cup match and landed on supporters below has been cleared of assault. John Ryan, 62, of Railway Street, Chatham, Kent, was found not guilty of one count of assault by beating and one count of actual bodily harm following a trial at Ipswich Crown Court. The jury returned not guilty verdicts on both charges, and Ryan could be seen crying in the dock as the verdicts were delivered.
The incident happened during an FA Cup clash in January 2024, when Ipswich Town hosted Maidstone United. Ryan fell from the Cobbold Stand upper tier and landed on Ipswich supporters Joanne Peters and her partner Aaron Rose. The jury was told that he had been in the upper tier when he fell, slid down the sloping roof that covers the boxes between the upper and lower tiers of the stand, and landed on the home supporters below.
Ryan had been one of thousands of Maidstone United supporters at the match, which he described in court as “the biggest match in the club’s history”. The non-league side won 2-1 against Ipswich, who were heading to promotion from the Championship that season. Ryan told the court he had been celebrating a “special” goal and said he had been unable to stop himself during the goal celebrations.
He told the jury he was unsure whether he had been pushed or whether his foot had slipped when he fell. Earlier in the trial, prosecutor Simon Gladwell said Ryan had drunk five cans of lager ahead of the match.