Ex Dundee United chairman Stephen Thompson reveals he has filed for bankruptcy as he reignites Rangers rivalry
Thompson spent almost two decades working in Scottish football and wants a route back in
Ex-Dundee United chairman Stephen Thompson
Ex-Dundee United chairman Stephen Thompson (Image: SNS Group)
Daily Record logo – whatsapp community
Get the latest Daily Record breaking news on WhatsApp
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info
Ex Dundee United supremo Stephen Thompson revealed he has applied for bankruptcy after hitting rock bottom and jokingly threw his hat into the ring for the Rangers CEO job as he looks for a return to football.
Thompson took over at Tannadice after dad Eddie died from cancer and it was a roller coaster time at the club from winning the Scottish Cup to relegation from the Scottish Premiership. He became a hate figure among the Ibrox legions around the time of the Light Blues financial collapse and he quipped that he could be line for a job there.
The diehard United fan gave a frank interview on BBC Scotland’s Off the Ball with Tam Cowan and, after selling his father’s Eddy’s Food Station stores to Spar, admitted: “I’ve kind of hit rock bottom to be honest. I signed a petition for bankruptcy yesterday which isn’t a great place to be in life. The stores were making money but we started out at the wrong time. I’d like to get back in football but it’s not easy to get back into.”
READ MORE: Celtic receive indisputable evidence of ear-damaging racket as Fortress Paradise rips up the record books
READ MORE: Anthony Joshua is ‘finished’ but I’d still love to fight him if he is brave enough to face me
And on Rangers he said: “Well, they do need a chief exec don’t they? It’s pretty well known they [Rangers fans] don’t like me. We had a bit of a battle with them a couple of years over an abandoned match before that and I charged them half the price to get in again.”
He was also a target for criticism when Gers dropped down to the bottom tier but he said: “They need to look at what happened at their own club and not look outside – it wasn’t anyone else who took the club to where it got to, it happened from within. Everyone wants to blame someone else and football is great for rewriting history.”
But Thompson wants a genuine return to the game and said: “I had 17 of years of my life in football. It’s what you know, it’s in your blood. I watched United since I was four years old so I’m a football guy. I feel I’ve got something to offer. We had a lot of success at Dundee United, I know it didn’t end well.
Top Stories
1
Celtic receive indisputable evidence of ear-damaging racket as Fortress Paradise rips up the record books
2
Anthony Joshua is ‘finished’ but I’d still love to fight him if he is brave enough to face me
3
Reo Hatate is an outrageous Celtic talent but there’s something else I’ve noticed about star man – Chris Sutton
“I sat on the league board for six years, done transfers fees, sell on clauses so I know how it works. You’re on a steep learning curve at the start but you don’t forget it and I feel I’ve got something to offer someone.
(Image: SNS Group)
“I was damaged by it but not now. It certainly affected me for a while. Living in your home city, and Dundee isn’t huge, is tough for anyone who owns a club. But it is what it is. I was damaged for a wee while but you get over that.
“It was a bit of a roller coaster. We went from winning the Scottish Cup to getting relegated so you can’t get higher and lower than that. I love the club but it didn’t end the best way. It was a hard act to follow in the footsteps of my dad – and he left me with £7.2million of debt as well which was fun. We got it down to £1m.”
Thompson hired and fired managers during his time at United and said: “Paul Hegarty was one of my heroes as a kid and I sacked him twice. It’s not a very pleasant thing to do but you’ve got to run the business. It’s hard picking a manager. I was talking to Alan Burrows a couple of weeks ago and it’s all analytics now.
“The best football we played was under Jackie McNamara but things didn’t always go well, particularly towards the end. It’s common in England (that mangers get a cut of players’ transfer fees) but not in Scotland. It was part of the negotiations and people said he wanted to sell them to make money.
“Every club in Scotland has to sell players to survive or the owner has to put money in. Bojan Miovski covers one year’s operating losses! It’s quite frightening. We used to have a gap of about £750,000-£1million so you have to fill it. The only club with money in the bank is Celtic.”
READ NEXT:
Celtic receive indisputable evidence of ear-damaging racket as Fortress Paradise rips up the record books
Anthony Joshua is ‘finished’ but I’d still love to fight him if he is brave enough to face me
M&S’ £45 winter boots are ‘so comfy’ shoppers say they ‘never take them off’
Last doctor to treat late Queen Elizabeth made devastating discovery before she died
Reo Hatate is an outrageous Celtic talent but there’s something else I’ve noticed about star man – Chris Sutton
Follow Daily Record
More On
BBCJackie McNamaraStephen ThompsonDundee United FCScottish CupRangers FC
Up Next
Celtic receive indisputable evidence of ear-damaging racket as Fortress Paradise rips up the record books
Sport
all
Top Stories
Seal pup abandoned by mum after fireworks set off at Scots nature reserve
Wildlife
Pensioner dies in early morning horror crash between BMW and taxi in Scots town
Police Scotland
Scots nurse’s death linked to weight-loss jab Mounjaro approved on NHS
Slimming
Martin O’Neill went public about having to beat 3 Rangers teams now it’s Celtic who deal in multiples
Celtic FC
Scots mum issues urgent Turkey holiday warning after son ‘almost came home in body bag’
Holidays
Celtic receive indisputable evidence of ear-damaging racket as Fortress Paradise rips up the record books
Celtic FC
Stuart Hogg’s secret ex tried to warn jockey girlfriend Leonna Mayor
Stuart Hogg
Teen fighting for life in Turkey after being hit by paraglider in freak accident
Children
Second man charged with firearms offence after bomb squad called to Scots flats
Clydebank
Mum-of-three, 71, discovers brain tumour after collapsing at train station
Cancer
Ryanair flight to Tenerife sparks police response after ‘passenger pees in aisle’
Ryanair
Reo Hatate is an outrageous Celtic talent but there’s something else I’ve noticed about star man – Chris Sutton
Chris Sutton
News
Sport
Celebs
Life & Style
Follow us
mynewsassistant
In Your Area
About Us
Contact Us
Work for us
Got A Story?
Local News
Cookie Notice
Advertising
Marketplace
Book an Ad
Marketplace
Beauty Box Subscription
Yimbly Shop
Jobs
Buy a Photo
Competition Rules
How to Complain
Corrections & Clarifications
Google Survey
Privacy Notice
AI Notice
Sunday Mail Centenary Fund
Paper Subscription to the Daily Record and Sunday Mail
Paper Subscription to the Paisley Daily Express
Newsletters Signup
Syndication & L
icensing
Terms and Conditions
Notifications and alerts help
Do not sell or share my data
© 2024 Scottish Daily Record and Sunday Mail Ltd
