EDDIE Thompson, the businessman turned football chairman, has died, just three days after his son-in-law was killed in a motorcycle accident.
The 68-year-old, who transformed the fortunes of Dundee United after taking control six years ago, lost his fight against prostate cancer yesterday, with his family at his bedside.
His daughter Justine, 39, already mourning the death of her husband, is now set to take over the running of the club with her brother, Steven.
Her husband, Kenneth Mitchell, 38, was killed in an accident near Edinburgh early on Sunday morning.
Mr Thompson, who made his fortune from his Morning, Noon & Night convenience store chain, had been a fan of Dundee United for more than 40 years.
He played an influential role in the formation of the Arab Trust, the supporters' collective that is now the second-largest shareholder in Dundee United, after the Thompson family.
As scarves, strips and floral tributes transformed the main entrance to Tannadice stadium into a sea of tangerine, the fans led the tributes to their "inspirational father figure". The chairman of the Federation of Dundee United Supporters' Clubs, Angus Falconer, said: "Many people said Eddie was insane for taking on the job, but such was his love for the club that nothing would hold him back.
"When he got in there, he delivered what the supporters wanted: a position of respectability for this club within the Scottish game. He is a hero and a legend."
A spokesman for the supporters' trust said: "Eddie Thompson was a true gentleman and one of Dundee United's greatest-ever fans. Eddie never once put himself before the club and worked tirelessly to see United back to their former glory."
Leading figures in Scottish football joined in the tributes. Gordon Smith, the chief executive of the Scottish Football Association, said: "Eddie was a man who loved the game and was passionate about bringing success to the club he loved.
"You need only look at the way the fans reacted at the CIS Cup final earlier this year to see how much Dundee United meant to Eddie and how much Eddie meant to the club. He will be sorely missed."
Craig Levein, the manager of Dundee United, said: "This is a terrible time, and the death of his son-in-law at the weekend only makes this more heartbreaking.
"Over the next few days, a lot will be said about him and what he achieved, but I really will remember him as a decent guy."
Dundee's lord provost, John Letford, said: "This is a very sad day for the city."
A spokesman for the club said: "Everyone at Dundee United is devastated by the loss of someone who was not only our chairman, but also a very close and inspirational friend."
PROFILEBORN in Glasgow in 1940, Eddie Thompson moved to Dundee in 1964, which is when he began to support Dundee United.
In 1991, he formed the Morning, Noon & Night chain of convenience stores. The business was a success, and in 2004 he sold it to Scotmid in one of the biggest such deals in Scotland in recent times.
Mr Thompson became the chairman and owner of Dundee United in September 2002 and ploughed millions of pounds of his own money into the club.
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CRAIG LEVEIN'S TRIBUTE•
WHAT THOMPSON DID FOR UNITED•
OBITUARYThe full article contains 568 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
