Maidstone supporter John Ryan acquitted over Portman Road stand fall

Maidstone United supporter John Ryan has been acquitted of two assault charges after falling from a stand at Ipswich Town's Portman Road during an FA Cup match. BBC News reported that the jury at Ipswich Crown Court found the 62-year-old not guilty of assault by beating and actual bodily harm.

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The incident occurred during Maidstone's 2-1 victory in January 2024. Ryan fell from the Cobbold Stand's upper tier, slid across the sloping roof above the executive boxes and landed on home supporters Joanne Peters and Aaron Rose. He told jurors he could not stop himself while celebrating a goal and was uncertain whether he had slipped or been pushed.

According to the BBC's court report, Ryan cried as the verdicts were delivered. Speaking afterwards, he apologised to Peters and Rose and described the fall as accidental. Peters had told the trial about bruising, hand numbness and whiplash symptoms; Rose said he had been struck in the head.

Safety changes followed at the ground. In its July 2024 report on Portman Road's redevelopment, BBC News documented glass screens installed along the Cobbold Stand's upper tier, above the executive boxes. The report also described safe-standing rails added to parts of both the away and home sections. Those works formed part of preparations for Ipswich's return to the Premier League, with the away allocation expanded and some existing season-ticket holders relocated.

The acquittal concerns the stadium incident, separate from a railway case reported by British Transport Police last month. Police said Ryan received a three-year football banning order and a community order at Maidstone Magistrates' Court on 7 September. Two other men were sentenced alongside him following an assault at Halling station in Kent.

According to the police account, that incident followed Maidstone's play-off final on 18 May 2025. An injured passenger was escorted from a train before being assaulted on the platform. Police said Ryan punched him twice. Ryan's banning order prevents him from entering football grounds across the UK; it arose from the railway proceedings, not the Portman Road trial.