Eddie Thompson
| Eddie Thompson | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Edward Henry Thompson 16 July 1940 Glasgow, Scotland |
| Died | 15 October 2008 (aged 68) Dundee, Scotland, UK |
| Occupation | Businessman, accountant |
| Years active | 1991–2008 |
| Net worth |
 £30 million (est.)
|
| Title | chairman of Dundee United F.C. |
| Spouse(s) | Cath Thompson (m. ?–2008, his death) |
| Children | 2 |
Edward Henry "Eddie" Thompson OBE (16 July 1940 – 15 October 2008) was a Scottish businessman. A well-known figure in the Scottish retail industry, he founded the convenience store chain Morning, Noon and Night in 1991, which he later sold for £30 million in 2004. He was awarded the OBE for services to the Scottish grocery industry in 2005.
A long-time supporter of Dundee United F.C., Thompson bought the club in 2002 and remained chairman until his death in 2008.
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.
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.
You can change your wife, your house, your car, but you can never change your team. Chairmen come and go, boards come and go, but the fans remain. They are the one true constant. I've just been a custodian of the Club.
Eddie Thompson
Thompson was initially a Motherwell fan, but changed his allegiances and became a supporter of Dundee United when he moved to the Dundee area. He had a lengthy association with the club, and 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 in the club, being constantly rebuffed until finally assuming control of Dundee United in September 2002 when he bought McLean's shareholding.
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