Down-to-earth ET can lead Dundee United to CIS Cup glory

Dundee United will run out at Hampden Park for the CIS Cup final on March 16 to a sea of tangerine and black.

Among the 17,500 Arabs, there will be many T-shirts, flags and banners with messages of support for chairman Eddie Thompson, OBE.

ET, as he’s affectionately known around Tannadice, has been battling prostate cancer since being diagnosed in 2003, and he openly admits that his bones are so riddled with the disease that there is little hope of a cure.

Eddie’s seven-day week at Tannadice has not gone unnoticed by the Arab faithful. His enthusiasm is infectious and no-one can doubt his love of the club. He’s one of the few real fans who’ve actually had the opportunity and money to own and run their football club, after selling his Morning Noon and Night grocery empire.

In little over five years, he’s pumped many millions into Dundee United, and on the day of the final there will be a bit of payback to the man from the only people that really matter to him – the fans.

His tenure has been anything but easy, and the biggest battle was actually wrestling control away from the old regime, which was largely controlled by Tannadice legend Jim McLean.

Tensions were running high on Tayside before 'United for Change' decided to throw petrol on the fire. It was a powder-keg scenario and Eddie admits that he was once a victim of an aggressive fan who tried to push him down the stairs at Tynecastle Park.

The natives were restless and patience was running out. It wasn’t pretty, but in 2002 Thompson won his personal and sometimes public battle with McLean.