ET Tribute Unveiled

Seven years on from the passing of Eddie Thompson OBE, Honorary President Cath Thompson, Chairman Stephen Thompson and Director Justine Mitchell were on hand today to unveil a lasting and fitting tribute provided by the fans. In the immediate aftermath, a shrine was formed within the grounds of Tannadice Park and thousands of fans from all over came to pay their respects and leave tributes to the man seen by many as the driving force behind the reinvention of Dundee United. Today, a selection of those tributes has been encased on the walls of the Eddie Thompson Stand concourse for eternity. Eddie’s widow, Cath, said: “I am deeply proud looking at this tribute today. At the time of his passing I was struck by how much of an impact Eddie had on the fans and today brings that back into my mind. It is a lovely tribute and it gives me great peace knowing that it is in place and he will not be forgotten. He will be remembered for a long time to come and it is highly appropriate that it is situated within the stand named after him.” Daughter Justine said “It was seven years ago today that Stephen and I lost our dad and our mum lost her husband and best friend. The Club lost one of its biggest and most passionate fans as well as its custodian. The tributes and mementos left by the fans at the time were a great comfort and it is very apt that we have today preserved that memorial in my dad’s memory in the fitting surrounding of the Eddie Thompson Stand. It is a great gesture and one the fans will treat with great affection. The respect they paid was very highly valued and this will hopefully show how appreciated the tributes are to all of us.” Chairman Stephen Thompson said: “My dad taught me so much about the Chairmanship of Dundee United and he was taken far too early from our lives. This Club has family values through its core and for us as a family it is great to have this lasting tribute in place within the heart of the stand named after dad. It is a special place that we can bring his grandchildren along to see how close his relationship was with the fans and how much of an impact he had on the Club.” Other tributes including United kits that were also part of the original shrine will be used as part of the St John’s Indian Village Project which has helped facilitate life improvement for the local community. The Thompson family have proudly given their backing to this.