A couple has expressed that they could have faced deadly consequences when an inebriated football supporter fell onto them from the upper tier of a stadium.

Joanne Peters, 54, and Aaron Rose, 46, sustained injuries when Maidstone United fan John Ryan fell while celebrating his team’s first goal in a 2-1 win.

Ryan, 62, had consumed five cans of Foster’s before he rolled down a sloped roof above hospitality boxes, ultimately crashing down onto Ipswich Town supporters.

Joanne recounted, “Suddenly, I found myself being pushed forward in my seat. He landed on my neck and shoulder. I could have died. I feel fortunate to be alive.”

Joanne, who suffers from a spinal curvature, experienced internal bruising, whiplash, and a trapped nerve.

She stated, “My daughters could have lost their mother, and my elderly mother could have lost her daughter. Mr. Ryan could have broken my neck.”

Engineer Aaron was struck at the back of the head.

The couple, hailing from Woodbridge, Suffolk, attended the FA Cup fourth round match at Portman Road in January 2024.

Ipswich Crown Court was informed that Ryan, from Chatham, Kent, described himself as “tipsy” after consuming multiple cans of lager before the match.

He had been situated with other Maidstone supporters in the upper tier of Ipswich Town’s Cobbold Stand, positioned five or six rows from the front.

During the court proceedings, Ryan explained that when his team scored just before halftime, he and his fellow supporters erupted in excitement.

He was unsure if he had bumped into someone or slipped but stated he couldn’t halt his fall.

Ryan remarked, “It was chaotic. No one anticipated that. I just couldn’t prevent myself, and my leg hit the wall at the front of the tier. I fell, and the next thing I knew, I was on the roof. I didn’t intentionally go anywhere.”

The jury found him not guilty of assault by beating and actual bodily harm.

Aaron and Joanne reported that glass screens were installed afterward. Joanne stated, “I wouldn’t want this to happen to anyone else.”

Ipswich Town has been approached for comment.

In a separate incident, Ryan was issued a three-year football banning order last month for assaulting a man at Halling railway station in Kent following a Maidstone match in May 2025.