Chris Jack: History has shown us that the fan on the street is more powerful than the man in the boardroom in Scottish football

Through rivalry and the will to win, the love of the game is the one thing that bonds all supporters, the passion for their club a feeling that every other punter can resonate with.

The BBC documentary ‘Scotland’s Game’ has charted some of the highs and the lows of Scottish football in the last three weeks and the final instalment on Thursday will look at what the future holds for the beautiful game.

Read more: Lee Wallace: It's time for Rangers to stick together and keep believing after Old Firm heartache

It has been a trip down memory lane thus far but there have been more moments to forget than those to cherish for many who have tuned in.

The one constant, the aspect that has stood out most of all, though, is the role that supporters have played in our game in the last 30 years.

Some of the characters in the stories are best forgotten and their legacy has only been to leave destruction in their wake.

Read more: Lee Wallace: Parkhead pain has to be the driving force for Rangers improvement in the Premiership

It is incredible now to hear how close Dundee and Dundee United came to merging, or to consider that Wallace Mercer ever believed his bid for Hibernian was a viable option.

Then there was the day that the Rebels won at Parkhead, the mass sackings and cutbacks at Motherwell and the end of what some considered to be a fairy tale at Gretna.

At the other end of the scale, Hearts fans mobilised and had to rally to the cause and Rangers supporters followed their team and eventually ousted a regime through the darkest days in the club’s history.

Throw in the double administration at Dundee, the turmoil at Airdrie, Livingston and Dunfermline and, further back, the Save the Jags campaign, and the trail of misery becomes a lengthy one.

Through it all, the fans remained and stood their ground. Strangers became friends and allies as thousands united for a common cause.

Banners were made, money was raised and protests were held. Every situation has been different, but in each case there was a need for the man in the street to act.

Those that were in charge of their clubs had failed in their duty to protect it, their recklessness putting great institutions and key parts of our communities in danger. Thankfully, the fans didn’t let them get away with it.

There may have been twenty years between the events, but the images from Parkhead and Ibrox bore a striking resemblance as supporters gathered at the front door in anger, yet also in hope.

The same can be said of the situations at Easter Road and Tynecastle as fans on either side of the Edinburgh divide forced the change that was necessary to help their club prosper.

No matter your allegiance, you have to admire the will and the determination of your fellow fan. Scottish football is far from perfect, but it is fortunate to have people that treasure it and the supporters will have a key role to play in the next three decades of our game.

Those that have never been in that situation are the lucky ones. They have not feared losing something that they love, not had to go from the stands to the streets to protect their club.

The sad reality is that clubs will be in this situation again at some stage. There will be another David Duff, Vladimir Romanov or Craig Whyte that somehow get their hands on something they know little about and care even less for.

The only positive is that, wherever and whenever it may be, history has shown us that the fans will be there. Scottish football would be nothing without them.