A STRETCH of Queen Street in Broughty Ferry will be closed today in anticipation of large crowds attending the funeral of Dundee United chairman Eddie Thompson.

The funeral, which takes place at St Mary’s Episcopal Church at 1pm, will see Queen Street closed between the junctions with Fort Street and Claypotts Road and diversions in operation.

The road will be closed from 11.30am to allow mourners to gather outside the church and could remain closed until mid- afternoon.

Sergeant Wilson Gove, of Dundee’s road policing team, said the planned closures would be as brief as possible.

“As soon as the service is over and the street has been cleared the road will be reopened, but we would urge drivers to try to avoid the area if they can,” he said.

Traffic will be diverted via Forthill Road, Balgillo Road, Ballinard Road and Claypotts Road, with much of central Broughty Ferry already affected by roadworks.

Sgt Gove said that it was impossible to say how many fans would turn up.

“We’ve heard anecdotally that some supporters have hired a double-decker bus to travel down, but we have no way of knowing how many others will come off their own backs.”

The service itself will be open to close family and invited guests only, but will be broadcast by loudspeaker for fans outside the church.

The burial service will be private.

*Five hundred copies of Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here, recorded by The Cundeez and Friends as a tribute to Eddie Thompson, will be handed out to United fans at Saturday’s game against St Mirren.