Eddie Thompson, the chairman of Dundee United football club, died yesterday — the second time the family has been bereaved within a week. Last Sunday Mr Thompson's daughter saw her husband killed in a motorcycle accident.

As the news spread through Dundee and the world of Scottish football, tributes poured in for Mr Thompson, who had suffered from prostate cancer for several years.

Family sympathy centred on Justine Mitchell who, in the space of three days, lost her husband and her father.

Mrs Mitchell, 39, a lawyer, was driving on the A90 near the Forth Road Bridge, with her husband Kenneth riding behind her on his Harley-Davidson, when she saw him crash on a corner. The couple, who have a 14-month-old son, Monty, ran the estate agency Edinburgh Residential. Mr Mitchell, 38, had recently taken up motorcycling.

Mrs Mitchell had been appointed to the board of Dundee United this year and had been helping to run the club while her father was ill.

Mr Thompson became the majority shareholder in 2002 and was hugely popular with the fans. He was once quoted as saying: “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.”

He was born in Glasgow in 1940 and moved to Dundee in 1964. He had ploughed millions of pounds of his own money into Dundee United. One of the stands at the club's ground, Tannadice, was named after him this year and thousands of fans wore T-shirts reading “One Eddie Thompson” at this year's CIS Cup final.

Mr Thompson was an accountant who made his money through convenience stores. After taking over the football club he turned a £2.7million loss into an operating profit and set up a fans' trust that became the club's second-largest stakeholder.

Despite his illness, Mr Thompson, 67, continued to attend matches for as long as possible and, when it became clear that his health was worsening, he took steps to secure the club's long-term future, with his son, Stephen, taking over as chief executive.

A club spokesman said: “This is an extremely difficult time for the Thompson family with the recent tragic death of Mr Thompson's son-in-law, Ken Mitchell, and the family have requested that they are left to grieve in private.”

Mike Barile, associate director of the Dundee United supporters' group ArabTrust and a close friend of Mr Thompson, described him as “just a lovely, lovely man”.

He said: “Eddie was so passionate about his football team, and through his hard work and determination he proved his doubters wrong and turned things around here. Whether Eddie was speaking to a taxi driver or whoever, he gave that individual his full attention and was genuinely interested in them — that was a remarkable gift.”

The Federation of Dundee United Supporters' Clubs praised Mr Thompson's “passion, commitment, tenacity and determination” for the club. A statement added: “Eddie Thompson is a hero to all of us. We are all heartbroken today.”

Angus Falconer, chairman of the supporters' clubs, said: “We knew it was coming, but in light of what happened at the weekend it shows how cruel life can be. What has happened to the family is just awful and we are all behind them now.”

John Letford, Dundee's Lord Provost, said that Mr Thompson's death marked “a very sad day for the city”.

Dundee United's match against Rangers in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League on Saturday will be postponed as a mark of respect.

Alex Salmond, the First Minister, said: “Eddie Thompson will be greatly missed as a key figure in Scottish football. He had a real empathy and connection with the Dundee United support — something it is often difficult for a football chairman to achieve.”

Craig Levein, Dundee United's manager, said that he regarded Mr Thompson not just as a club chairman but also a close friend. “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.”

Brian Taylor, BBC Scotland's political editor and a friend of Mr Thompson, said: “He was, quite simply, a superb human being: a great family man, a talented entrepreneur, a warm thoughtful friend — and, of course, the guiding spirit at the club.”

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