This page is about the English footballer and television personality. For other uses, see Jimmy Hill (disambiguation)
James William Thomas Hill OBE (born July 22, 1928) is an English football personality. Jimmy Hill can refer to Jimmy Hill, former English professional footballer and current football personality Jimmy Hill (Northern Irish footballer The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British Order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of Year 1928 ( MCMXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered His career has taken in virtually every role in football, including player, union leader, coach, manager, director, chairman, television executive, presenter, analyst and even match official. A trade union or labour union is an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas such as wages hours and working conditions forming Coach (baseball|Coach (basketball|Coach (ice hockeyIn Sports a coach or manager is an individual involved in the direction instruction and training of the operations Two assistant referees (previously known as linesmen) assist the referee in controlling an association football match
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Personal life
Hill was born in Balham, London, the son of Alice Beatrice (Wyatt) and William Thomas Hill, a WWI-veteran, milkman, and bread delivery worker. Balham is a neighbourhood in South London, England. The settlement appears in the Domesday Book as Belgeham. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All [1] He was a pupil at Henry Thornton Grammar School, Clapham, and is now President of the Old Boys Association. He currently resides in Hurstpierpoint, West Sussex. Hurstpierpoint is a village in the Mid Sussex district of West Sussex, England. Settlements Most settlements in West Sussex are either along the south coast or are situated in the M23 corridor
Football career
Hill first came into football as a fan, regularly watching football at local club Crystal Palace, but, despite this, he started playing in 1949 with Brentford, before moving to Fulham in 1953, for whom he played over 300 games. Crystal Palace FC is an English football club based in South Norwood, London. Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Brentford Football Club are an English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. Fulham Football Club is an English football team based in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Year 1953 ( MCMLIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He scored five goals for Fulham in an away match against Doncaster Rovers and was part of the team that gained promotion to the First Division. Doncaster Rovers Football Club (or informally Donny) are an English football club based at the Keepmoat Stadium in the town of Doncaster The Football League First Division was the highest division of The Football League between 1993 and 2004 and the highest division of English football overall between
In 1957 he became chairman of the Professional Footballers Association, and successfully campaigned to have the Football League's £20 maximum wage scrapped, which he managed to do in January 1961. Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) The Professional Footballers' Association (PFA is the association for professional footballers in the United Kingdom. The Football League, also known as the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons is a league competition featuring professional football clubs A maximum wage, also often called a wage ceiling, is a State enforced limit on how much Income an individual can earn Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
Coventry City
In November 1961, after retiring as a player, Hill became manager of Coventry City. Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip is an association football club based in Coventry, His time at Coventry was marked by great changes to the club, nicknamed "The Sky Blue Revolution". Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip is an association football club based in Coventry, He changed the home kit's colours to sky blue, coining the nickname "The Sky Blues". He also penned the club song "The Sky Blue Song", sung to the tune of the Eton Boating Song. Among his other innovations were the first fully-fledged match programme in English football, and organized pre-match entertainment to encourage fans to arrive early. His partnership with the chairman D H Robbins also led to a redevelopment of the stadium, Highfield Road, with 2 new stands being built.
After winning the Division Three championship in 1963-64, and the Division Two title in 1966-67, Hill quit the club shortly before the start of the 1967-68 season.
Broadcasting career
After leaving Coventry in 1967, Hill moved into broadcasting, acting as technical adviser to the BBC's football-based drama series United! before becoming Head of Sport at London Weekend Television from 1967 to 1972. United! was a British Television series produced by the BBC between 1965 and 1967, and screened twice-weekly on BBC1 Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He also fronted their World Cup 1970 coverage which, at his suggestion, used the first panel of football pundits. The 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup was held in Mexico, from May 31 to June 21.
He was briefly LWT's Deputy Controller of Programmes, before joining the BBC to present Match of the Day. Match of the Day (sometimes abbreviated as MOTD) is the BBC 's main football Television programme Hill racked up 600 appearances on the show, and became a television icon, instantly recognisable and often caricatured for his long chin and distinctive beard. As a presenter or analyst, he worked on every major international championship from 1966 to 1998. Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar)
In 1999, Hill moved from the BBC to Sky Sports,where he featured on Jimmy Hill's Sunday Supplement, a weekly discussion show between Hill and three football journalists conducted over a Sunday breakfast. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) In 2007, he was replaced by his co presenter Brian Woolnough and the programme has now been renamed Sunday Supplement.
Directorships
Despite his surprise departure as manager, Hill returned to Coventry City as managing director in April 1975 before becoming the chairman. Managing director is the term used for the Chief executive of many limited companies in the United Kingdom, Commonwealth and some other English He is still considered a legend by Coventry fans. Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip is an association football club based in Coventry, When Coventry City played their last ever match at Highfield Road in 2005, he received a post-match hero's welcome from the capacity crowd, and led them in a rousing chorus of "The Sky Blue Song". Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip is an association football club based in Coventry, In 2007, fans voted for a bar at the new Ricoh Arena to be named "Jimmy's" in his honour. The Ricoh Arena, home to Coventry City FC, is a stadium complex situated in the Rowleys Green district of the City of Coventry, England
Following a spell as chairman of Charlton Athletic, he became chairman of Fulham in 1987, helping his old club survive near-bankruptcy, and blocking an attempted merger with Queens Park Rangers
Jimmy Hill is a trustee of the Stable Lads Association. Charlton Athletic Football Club (also known as The Addicks) is a professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Bankruptcy is a legally declared inability or impairment of ability of an individual or organization to pay their Creditors Creditors may file a bankruptcy petition against Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English football club, based in Shepherds Bush in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London Trustee is a Legal term that refers to a holder of property on behalf of a beneficiary. Like Roger Swinfen Eady, 3rd Baron Swinfen and Allen Parton and Endal, Hill is a patron of Labrador Rescue South East and Central. Roger Mynors Swinfen Eady 3rd Baron Swinfen (born 14 December 1938) is a British peer Endal (born 13 December, 1995) is a male Labrador retriever in England whose abilities as a Service dog and as an ambassador for Patronage is the support encouragement privilege and often financial aid given by a person or an organization [2]
He is currently the President of non-league team Corinthian Casuals
Footballing Legacy
He has a reputation as an all-round innovator in football - as well as helping to get rid of the maximum wage, he commissioned the first all-seater stadium when at Coventry, and has been credited with the invention of the 3 points for a win system, which was pioneered by The Football Association in 1981. Corinthian-Casuals FC are a football club based in Tolworth[http //www All-seater stadium is the terminology applied to those sports stadia in which every spectator has a seat Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip is an association football club based in Coventry, Three points for a win is a standard used in many Sports leagues and group tournaments, especially in Association football, in which three (rather than two The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 In the 1950s he was the first footballer since Victorian times to sport a beard.
Public Image
Jimmy Hill has become a cult figure, with many British comedy shows parodying his personality and prominent chin. He was a regular character called 'Knobchops' in the comedy series Stella Street (impersonated by Phil Cornwell). Stella Street was a British Television Comedy programme originally screened on BBC2 (1997 - 2001 Phil Cornwell (born 5 October 1957 in Southend-on-Sea, Essex) is an English Comedian, Actor, impressionist
He was also spoofed in The Goodies episode "2001 and a Bit". This article discusses The Goodies comedy television series For information about the formation of The Goodies group and for information 2001 and a Bit is an episode of the British Comedy television series The Goodies.
Hill parodied himself in an appearance in Monty Python's Flying Circus. Monty Python’s Flying Circus (also known as Flying Circus or during the final series just Monty Python) is a BBC Sketch comedy
Jimmy Hill has been immortalised in the Scottish football chant "We hate Jimmy Hill, he's a poof, he's a poof". The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. A football chant, also referred to as terrace chants, is a term that refers to songs or chants sung at Football matches He had become unpopular with Scotland fans, better known as the Tartan Army, for describing David Narey's goal against Brazil in the 1982 World Cup as "a toe-poke" during the BBC's live coverage. The Tartan Army is a name given to fans of the Scotland national football team. David Narey, MBE (born 12 June, 1956 in Dundee, Scotland) is a former Scottish international footballer The Brazil national football team is the national team of Brazil and is managed by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF that represents Brazil in international The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th staging of the World Cup was held in Spain from June 13 to July 11.
One of Hill's more light-hearted football moments took place in 1972. Arsenal were hosting Liverpool at Highbury on September 16, when linesman Dennis Drewitt pulled a muscle and was unable to continue. Liverpool Football Club are an English professional Association football club based in Liverpool England. Arsenal Stadium was a football stadium in Highbury, North London, which was the home ground of Arsenal Football Club between 6 September 1913 FA rules state that the match could not be completed without a referee and two linesmen, so the game was in danger of being abandoned. The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey The matchday announcer put a message over the loudspeaker asking if anyone was a qualified referee and would volunteer to run the line. Hill was a qualified referee and had been at Highbury that day as a spectator. He quickly donned a tracksuit and stepped in for the injured Mr Drewitt.
The term "Jimmy Hill" is also often used to describe someone as not telling the whole truth. It is likely the linking grew from people suggesting someone is not telling the truth by scratching their own chins, and from the distinct chin feature of Jimmy Hill. An often used phrase is "Jimmy Hill reckons" followed by "Itchy chin!" (as popularised by The Mary Whitehouse Experience). The Mary Whitehouse Experience was a British topical Sketch comedy show produced by the BBC in association with Spitting Image Productions
Hill is also well known for his ability to make ‘Colemanballs’ statements such as:
“I would undoubtedly pick him in the next England squad if I was the England manager and he wasn't actually Bermudan. Colemanballs is a term coined by Private Eye magazine to describe verbal gaffes perpetrated by (usually British) sports commentators ”
“We're not used to weather in June in this country. ”
“They're still in the game, and they're trying to get back into it. ”
"That's a wise substitution by Terry Venables: three fresh men, three fresh legs. Terence Frederick 'Terry' Venables (born 6 January 1943 in Dagenham, London often referred to as ' El Tel', is an English football manager "
"If England are going to win this match, they're going to have to score a goal. "
See also
- Roberto Bortoluzzi The equivalent of Hill in Italy
References
- ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/portal/main.jhtml?xml=/portal/2007/03/10/nosplit/ftdet10.xml
- ^ LRSEC Staff. Roberto Bortoluzzi ( January 28, 1921 &ndash November 5, 2007) was an Italian Sports journalist and Radio broadcaster Labrador Rescue South East and Central (html). lrsec. org. uk. “Patrons: The Lord Swinfen, Mrs. Roger Mynors Swinfen Eady 3rd Baron Swinfen (born 14 December 1938) is a British peer Robin Wise, Allen Parton and Endal (Dog of the Millennium), Jimmy Hill and Bryony Hill. Endal (born 13 December, 1995) is a male Labrador retriever in England whose abilities as a Service dog and as an ambassador for ”
The phrase "jimmy hill" is also used as a slang term for "Playing it sensationally"
External links
| Media offices | ||
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| Preceded by David Coleman |
Regular Host of Match of the Day 1973–1988 |
Succeeded by Des Lynam |
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic