#3 Jimmy Hill
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It’s difficult to describe exactly what Jimmy Hill’s primary occupation was. From player to manager to TV personality, he plied his trade in every avenue possible but, leading on well from Bosman, it was his influence over player-power which is regarded as his most significant achievement.
The London-born professional started out playing for Brentford and Fulham, playing nearly 300 games for the latter, but that simply wasn’t enough for Hill, who became chairman of the Players Football Association in 1957 – the year in which he would lay down a law that arguably characterises the game today. Hill successfully campaigned for the abolition of the maximum wage, which then stood at £20 per week. Fulham teammate Johnny Haynes was heavily involved in the process and himself became the first player to earn £100-per-week.
Hill moved on rather swiftly to the world of management with Coventry City, leading the Sky Blues to their first ever promotion to the top flight. A shimmering broadcasting career followed, in which Hill made over 600 appearances as presenter of ‘Match of the Day’, which many believe owes its present success to Hill’s charismatic approach in front of the cameras.
By scrapping the maximum wage, Hill may be regarded as the reason for the mammoth money we see in the sport today, but his impact on football has been wholly positive. Few will ever match the love of the game possessed by Hill who simply couldn’t keep away from it.
