A man has been cleared of assault after falling off the upper tier of a football stadium and injuring fans below while celebrating a goal.

John Ryan, 62, denied one count of assault by beating and one count of actual bodily harm after falling onto fans Joanne Peters and Aaron Rose while celebrating Maidstone United scoring against Ipswich in the FA Cup in January 2024.

A jury at Ipswich Crown Court was shown footage of Ryan tumbling over a edge of the Cobbold Stand stand at Ipswich Town’s Portman Road ground and rolling down a sloped roof covering the lower tier, before landing in the crowd.

Ryan, who had told the jury he did not know whether he’d been pushed or slipped over the edge, wept as a verdict of not guilty was returned on both charges.