Jimmy Hill, English footballer, Died at 87

  Sports

James William Thomas “Jimmy” Hill was born on July 22, 1928, and died on December 19, 2015.

He was an English football personality.

James career included several roles in the sport, including player, trade union leader, coach, manager, director, chairman, television executive, presenter, analyst and assistant referee.

He began his playing career at Brentford in 1949, and moved to Fulham three years later.

As president of the Professional Footballers’ Association, James successfully campaigned for an end to The Football League’s maximum wage in 1961.

After retiring as a player, James took over as manager of Coventry City, modernising the team’s image and guiding them from the Third to the First Division.

In 1967, James began a career in football broadcasting, and was a long-term host of the BBC’s Match of the Day.

James Hill was born in Balham, London, the son of William Thomas Hill, a World War I veteran, milkman, and bread delivery worker and Alice Beatrice (Wyatt).

He was a pupil at Henry Thornton Grammar School, Clapham (1939 to 1945), and became President of the Old Boys’ Association.

James then did national service as a clerk in the Royal Army Service Corps in which he attained the rank of Corporal and was considered a potential candidate for officer training.

Jimmy Hill passed away at age 87 in December 2015.