John Ryan cleared of assaults after fall from Ipswich stand

John Ryan, a Maidstone United supporter, was found not guilty of assault by beating and actual bodily harm at Ipswich Crown Court on 14 October 2026. The charges arose from his fall onto Ipswich Town supporters at Portman Road during an FA Cup match in January 2024. The jury heard opposing accounts of whether the fall was deliberate.

How the fall at Portman Road unfolded

Ryan, 62, was among the away supporters when Maidstone played Ipswich. According to the BBC, he fell from the Cobbold Stand’s upper tier, slid down the roof over the boxes beneath it and landed among home supporters. Maidstone won 2-1 against an Ipswich side that the BBC described as heading for promotion from the Championship.

The fall happened during goal celebrations. Ryan told the court he could not stop himself and was unsure whether he had been pushed or his foot had slipped. Prosecutors argued that he fell deliberately as part of his celebration. The verdict rejected the assault charges but did not establish exactly how he came to fall.

What the Ipswich supporters told the court

Joanne Peters told the court that she initially thought a supporters’ box had collapsed when Ryan fell. She said she feared she could have died. Peters described internal bruising and symptoms affecting her shoulder and hands, according to the BBC and the Mirror.

Ryan’s response and the Cobbold Stand screens

After the verdict, Ryan said, ‘I’m sorry, it was an accident,’ according to the BBC. He had told the court he could not stop himself during the celebration. His explanation differed from the prosecution’s allegation that the fall was deliberate.

Ipswich Town introduced glass screens at the bottom of the Cobbold Stand upper tier shortly after the January 2024 incident, the BBC reported. The club installed them to try to improve safety in the part of the stand from which Ryan fell.