JOANNE PERCIVAL helped Rangers fans have a say on a defining day for the club. Now she wants them to have their voice heard at Ibrox in the future.
During the battle for the boardroom that eventually ended with Dave King, Paul Murray and John Gilligan climbing the Marble Staircase, Percival was one of the unsung heroes behind the momentum of the supporters.
The Light Blue legions played their own part in the fight to remove a reviled regime from office and progress has been made at all levels since the victory in March 2014.
Supporters once again have a chance to mobilise for the good of their club following the launch of Club 1872 and Percival is one of 15 candidates standing for election to the board in the coming weeks.
"I was brought up in a family where we were taught that if you thought that something needed to be done then you did it yourself and didn’t expect someone else to do it for you," Percival told SportTimes.
"I was involved in the Trust at the start and when fan ownership wasn’t being talked about much. It has only been in the last four years that people realised if they wanted to save their club they would have to do it for themselves. We have been on that journey and there have been a lot of dark days.
"We have never had people that wanted to listen to us before and now we are able to engage with the club to get things done. We are all moving in the same direction.
"I want to be involved in the next stage as we move towards greater fan involvement and Club 1872 is taking that forward. We need more of a say in the club so we can safeguard it for the future."
After two stints on the RST board as she played a key organisational role behind the scenes, Percival is now bidding for a spot on the Club 1872 top table.
The new fan group aims to have a working relationship with the Ibrox board but will be independent from the club and run on a one member one vote basis.
Club 1872 already own a 6% stake in RIFC plc following the merger of the RST and Rangers First and Percival helped ensure the Trust’s were put to good use when they were needed most before that historic General Meeting.
She said: “Everything went to a PO Box in Clydebank and it was a family affair because my mum was going down every day and collecting the letters.
"There were some nights we were up until three o’clock in the morning processing the paperwork.
"I didn’t want to be sitting a few months down the line thinking ‘I could have done more but I didn’t’.
"It was amazing seeing the proxies coming in and the notes from people. Pensioners put a fiver in and said that was all they could afford but they wanted it put towards saving their club.
“You know there is a big fan base but it is that emotional attachment that brings it home.”
Having played her part in the fight for change, Percival is keen to have a role in the future as Club 1872 look to unite Gers fans across the world.
Her bid for the board has been backed by Gordon Dinnie and George Letham and she knows the organisation could have many benefits for supporters.
Percival said: “There are people that don’t want to be involved in the politics or in buying shares and they are happy watching the team.
"But they will put money in if they think it is going to benefit the club and the support and if they see it will have a real effect.
"That is a benefit of Club 1872 that BuyRangers and RF didn’t have in that there is the facility to put money into projects.
"People will be loyal to the club and when they see things happening hopefully more and more people will become involved."
Voting for the Club 1872 board will commence on Thursday, September 22 and a seven person top table will be elected. The process will be overseen by Supporters Direct Scotland and the results announced on Monday, October 3. The full list of candidates is:
SHANE NICHOLSON
Proposer: Ross McAdam
Seconder: Gordon Stewart
WILLIAM COWIE
Proposer: Gary Carmichael
Seconder: Frank Chalmers
ALEX WILSON
Proposer: Malcolm Murray
Seconder: James Brockbank
JOANNE PERCIVAL
Proposer: Gordon Dinnie
Seconder: George Letham
LAURA FAWKES
Proposer: Chris Graham
Seconder: Margaret Cowie
IAIN LEIPER
Proposer: Robert Marshall
Seconder: Steven Tyrie
STEVIE SINCLAIR
Proposer: Mark Campbell
Seconder: William Paterson
CRAIG HOUSTON
Proposer: William Cowie
Seconder: Stevie Sinclair
JAMES BLAIR
Proposer: Robert Marshall
Seconder: Richard Gough
JOHNATHAN MCGOOKIN
Proposer: Michael Hegan
Seconder: Ian Gilfillan
SCOTT MCCULLOCH
Proposer: Robbie McAllister
Seconder: Colin MacIver
JAMES DURRANT
Proposer: Gordon Phimister
Seconder: John Brine
KELLY JOHNSTONE
Proposer: Johnathan McGookin
Seconder: Fraser Munro
BRIAN DONOHOE
Proposer: Gregory Campbell
Seconder: Malcolm Murray
IAIN MARTIN
Proposer: Robert Marshall
Seconder: Richard Scott
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