Thompson has brought passion to his role at Tannadice

Dundee United fans will be hoping the romance of the cup shines on them and chairman Eddie Thomson as they prepare for Rangers in Sunday's CIS Cup final.

Thompson, who has terminal cancer, has ploughed �5m into the Tannadice outfit since he took over in 2002 but has yet to see any silverware.

Manager Craig Levein dedicated the semi-final win to his ailing chairman.

Yet Thompson has maintained he wants victory at Hampden for the supporters' sake rather than his own.

Interview: Dundee Uited manager Craig Levein

The supermarket millionaire, 67, has supported the club for more than 40 years and has been in charge of the club for the last six years.

His arrival ended former chairman and manager Jim McLean's involvement within the power structures at Tannadice for the first time in three decades.

Thompson assumed control after buying McLean's family holding, plus others from directors Scott Carnegie, Gibby Haggart and Jim Barrie.

The new board saw Thompson become chairman and his son, Stephen, join as a director alongside Carnegie, Haggart, Derek Robertson and John Bennett. And his emotional attachment to the club has been matched by his financial commitment to make United a credible force in the SPL.

The manager knows what I'm like on the terracing Eddie Thompson

Managers came and went, including Alex Smith, Paul Hegarty, Gordon Chisholm, Ian McCall and Craig Brewster before Craig Levein arrived at Tannadice with high hopes.

"We've built up a great relationship which can only be good for Dundee United," he said last April.

"If I can give him what he needs from my angle and he can give me what we need on the park then United will be moving forward."

Thompson and Levein struck up a close working relationship and the latter was made a director of football in January.

The chairman's wife Cath and daughter Justine, have since joined son and current director Stephen, in the boardroom.

With the CIS Cup final to look forward to, Thompson knows the club is in capable hands.

The United players dedicated the 4-1 semi-final victory over Aberdeen to Thompson - who remains uncomfortable in the limelight.

"It was really emotional, the last game when all the fans were singing and the manager was trying to jump up to give me a hug in the stand," he told BBC Sport.

Eddie Thompson, Craig Levein and Stephen Thompson

"That's really quite something. I didn't like it. Before the game, the players were saying all this stuff about 'we're doing this for Eddie'.

"But I said 'now look', - and the manager knows what I'm like on the terracing - 'this is just another game'. And he couldn't stop laughing.

"I said 'what's your problem?'

"He said: 'I have to sit behind you and you're trying to tell me that it's just another game? You drive me nuts'.

"So I didn't like that business, it was great at the end, because it worked out.

"But it's maybe possible they might use it again for the final. It's a funny old game football, isn't it?"

If United give their chairman one final effort at Hampden on Sunday, then everyone at the club may be sporting winning smiles come the final whistle.