Laura, who has been on Club 1872’s board since 2016, is passionate about protecting and rebuilding the club she has loved since childhood and donates so much of her time to the organisation while juggling her own family and work life.
The Everyone Anyone diversity and inclusion campaign has been widely praised since it was launched last July and Laura has been heavily involved from the very start.
She took part in a campaign photoshoot with supporters of all ages and backgrounds last summer, attended the high-profile media launch at Ibrox and was also pleased to see the campaign evolve with the introduction of a new Fans Charter earlier this year.
Reflecting on the first ten months of the initiative, she said: “I am really proud to be a part of it. Obviously being involved with Club 1872 I was aware it was something Rangers had been planning to do.
“I think it has gone really well and the support has reacted favourably to it. Club 1872 has received a lot of emails in support of it.
“Follow with Pride has been going for quite a while and had originally been designed with the same aims as Everyone Anyone. But it had almost become background noise for people and it had lost its way as fans were almost de-sensitised to it.
“I remember when I first saw the Everyone Anyone launch video I was pleasantly surprised by how new, fresh and genuine it was.
“Everybody’s stories were authentic, and there was a real sense of pride that they were all Rangers supporters and taking part in it.
“I think most people would struggle to criticise this campaign. It has been done for the right reasons and it shows what a positive and diverse range of people follow Rangers.
“Sometimes if you are public and vocal about your support for Rangers you can get criticised on social media channels by fans of rival clubs, but there was a real sense that everyone involved was happy to play a part and were glad to have the opportunity to say they support Rangers and its values.
“The campaign continues to grow and the launch of the Fans Charter was another really positive step.
“The Fans Charter is a good example of that and so is the club’s tie up with SACRO – where any fan who steps out of line and is punished has to complete a rehabilitation course to get back in to Ibrox to see games.
“That’s another clear indication that the Rangers community and club is taking this seriously. We are not saying words just for the sake of it, there is action to underpin the campaign and I think that is really important.
“Not taking tickets for the away game against Young Boys was also a good example and a real statement of intent and Dave King, our chairman at that time, was very clear in the messages he put out.
“I’d never heard a senior figure at the club be so honest and robust about fan behaviour and the consequences of not following the team in a positive manner. He was clearly saying ‘if you embarrass us you are not welcome’.
“It’s a simple message and an important one. Come and support your team and don’t embarrass your club. I think that’s why the campaign has been so well received. Most Rangers fans agree with that.
“I was a foster carer for over ten years and I took kids from different ethnic and religious backgrounds to Ibrox and there was never a time where we felt unwelcome. The vast majority of Rangers fans are good people who are just going to support their team.
“I think the Everyone Anyone campaign speaks for the silent majority and has given them a voice. They are saying ‘yes, those are our values and we are proud to be Rangers supporters’ and I am proud to be a Rangers supporter too.”
We have been featuring the personal stories of supporters on our channels since the campaign was launch and Laura’s story mirrors that of all fans who took part. They all have a shared bond – regardless of age, ethnicity or gender – and that is a shared love for Rangers that has been passed down from generation to generation.
She continued: “It’s a family thing for me too. We were always Rangers supporters and there was no other team for us.
“My grandpa was good friends with Walter Smith’s dad as they grew up in the same area and many of the pennants that are embroidered in the trophy room were done by my dad’s company.
“When I was young my brother was really into football and had all the strips and I remember having an Ally McCoist poster on my wall.
“As my dad had business links at Ibrox we used to go to hospitality with him and I remember being so excited as players would come into the lounge after every game.
“When I was a foster carer and my nephews were of a similar age to the kids I was looking after, my brother and I decided to get season tickets again and we all went back to the games together. It was great to do it with the next generation of our family.
“The stand-out game for me was when my brother and I were kids and my brother Chris was a mascot for Rangers against Hearts in 1988.
“It was a great experience, something really special and the stand-out memory from my childhood years. Graham Roberts was captain that day and was really friendly with him. He was so lovely with my brother and made him feel very included. My brother remembers Chris Woods singing ‘I should be so lucky’ in the dressing room before the game!
“Unfortunately we had a flood a few years ago and the tape of the game was destroyed, but we’ll always have that amazing family memory of us all supporting Rangers.
“As an adult, my best memory is taking my boy Jack to his first game in February this year.
“He requires special care but he loved it. We took ear defenders with us just in case it got too much for him and my brother and I had an understanding that one of us would leave early if he wanted to go. But he made it to about 65 minutes and I remember his face lighting up as he saw the stadium before the game. It was a really special moment for our family.
“It’s always a great feeling when you walk up the stairs before matches, seeing the pitch and the anticipation when the players are kicking the ball about in the warm up. Seeing my son experience that for the first time was amazing. I am heavily involved in Club 1872 and you wouldn’t do it if you didn’t have that feeling for the club. Ibrox is a special place.
“Club 1872 is a Labour of Love for me and I don’t think people realise how much work goes on behind the scenes. Every issue Rangers fans think about are also the topics of conversations between myself and the other directors and we devote a lot of our time because we love our club.
“It’s a role I really enjoy and I was so proud when Club 1872 became the second largest shareholder in the club a few years ago. That was a huge moment for us and a real statement of intent. That has been diluted due to share issues but we were still able to put £1.5 million into the club since then and we remain one of the largest shareholders. That is a huge achievement.
“Club 1872 has a place at the table and it is a really privileged position to be in. Everyone associated with Club 1872 takes that responsibility very seriously. We are leading the way in terms of fan representation and fan ownership in the UK and that is a path we want to continue to pursue.
“The majority of Rangers fans are good people who want the best for themselves, their families and their communities. The Everyone Anyone campaign gives the silent majority of Rangers fans the opportunity to help promote that side of the club.
“This isn’t just a marketing exercise, it’s about representing something that’s already there and that we are very proud of.
“Rangers supporters believe in the values the campaign embodies and as I said I am delighted to be a part of it.”
CLICK HERE for more information on the Everyone Anyone campaign.
CLICK HERE for more information on the new Rangers Fans Charter.
CLICK HERE for more information on Club 1872.