The report says Ryan was celebrating a Maidstone goal when the crowd movement carried him towards the front of the upper Cobbold Stand. He told the court he struck a barrier, lost his footing and fell onto the roof above the lower tier before landing among Ipswich supporters.
The prosecution argued that Ryan had launched himself during the celebration. Ryan denied that account, maintaining that he could not say whether he had collided with another fan or simply slipped.
Joanne Peters, one of the spectators below, described the moment as “aterrorizante” - terrifying - according to the report. It says she suffered internal bruising and a compressed nerve, while Aaron Rose reported pain and stiffness.
The FA Cup is built on unexpected drama, and Maidstone United’s win at Ipswich Town was the kind of result that can produce uncontrolled celebrations. Yet football’s emotional release has limits when supporters are standing on steep terraces, close to barriers, stairways and changes in level.
An acquittal addresses criminal responsibility, but it does not erase the wider safety questions. How secure was the area? Were supporters moving safely? Did the response from stewards begin quickly enough? Those questions matter regardless of whether the fall was intentional.
For Maidstone fans, the victory remains a landmark result. The report says more than 4,000 supporters travelled to Suffolk, underlining the scale of the occasion and the intensity inside the away section.
The next storyline should be whether clubs review upper-tier barriers, stewarding and supporter movement after incidents like this. The best football celebrations are loud, spontaneous and unforgettable - but they must not come at the cost of someone’s safety.