Eddie Thompson

Eddie Thompson
Born	1940 Glasgow, Scotland
Occupation	Dundee United F.C. chairman
Net worth	£30 million

Edward Thompson, OBE (born 1940) is the chairman of Scottish football club Dundee United and a well known figure in the Scottish retail industry.

Business career

Born in Glasgow, where he attended Hyndland Secondary School, Thompson qualified as an accountant prior to working in managerial positions for Dundee-based Watson & Philip, owners of the VG chain of convenience stores. In 1991 he left them to become founder and chief executive of a similar chain called Morning, Noon & Night. He continued to run the company until selling it to Scotmid in 2004 for £30m.^[1] He was awarded the OBE in June 2005, in recognition of his services to the Scottish grocery industry and his work as chairman of the Scottish Retail Consortium. As well as the SRC, he has also served on the board of the CBI Council for Scotland , the British Retail Consortium and the Scottish Grocers' Federation. He has also been a recipient of the Scottish Grocery Lifetime Achievement Award.

In football

A supporter of Dundee United since moving to the Dundee area, Thompson has had a lengthy association with the club. He instigated their first ever shirt sponsorship deal, with VG, in the 1980s. He was appointed the club's honorary business consultant but subsequently became estranged from the club's management after falling out with manager and chairman Jim McLean. Thompson spent many years trying to invest the club, being constantly rebuffed until finally assuming control of Dundee United in September 2002 when he bought McLean's shareholding. Since then he has invested large sums of money in the team, but so far with limited success. Thompson has gained a reputation as a ruthless chairman, having sacked four managers in less than four years in charge. He has continued to take charge of club affairs personally, despite having been diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2003. Thompson currently serves as a member of the Scottish Premier League management board. His son Stephen works alongside him as a director of Dundee United.

References

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