An Ulster rugby fan has been awarded more than £37,000 in damages for injuries suffered as he was exiting Ravenhill stadium.
The High Court ruled on Wednesday that the Irish Rugby Football Union breached a duty to reasonably ensure Neil Rae’s safety at the east Belfast ground.
Mr Rae, 41, sustained damaged ankle ligaments and a chipped bone in his foot as he was going down steps out of the grandstand.
He sued the IRFU, claiming the lack of an inside handrail led to the accident at the end of an Ulster v Leicester Tigers match in January 2004.
Barrister Alan Kane QC told the court how his client was taken by surprise and overbalanced when he stepped onto something unexpected.
Delivering judgment, Mr Justice McCloskey identified the stadium occupier’s duty to visitors as central to the action.
He said installing an inner handrail would have reduced the width of the stairway, but not breached building regulations.
The judge pointed out how the route in and out of the grandstand would have been at “optimal capacity” as the game had just finished.
“It’s a sports ground and people are anxious to get on with what they are doing. Nobody wants to hang around,” he said.
“In ordinary parlance it is a relatively narrow staircase.
“These are not great sweeping staircases that you would find at the great sports stadia of the world, where ramps are in place.”
Following the verdict the east Belfast man expressed regret at having to bring the case but said he would still follow the team.
“I’m sorry it had to come to this. It could have been settled out of court,” he said.
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