London: Jimmy Hill, one of the most influential figures in English football history, died from Alzheimer's disease on Saturday aged 87.
Hill, who had been suffering from Alzheimer's for several years, played a major role in the development of football in a remarkable life that encompassed virtually every facet of the sport.
In a statement, his agent, Jane Morgan, said: "It is with great sadness that Bryony Hill and the children of Jimmy Hill have announced that Jimmy passed away peacefully today aged 87 after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. Bryony was beside him."
Gary Linker, who followed in Hill's footsteps as a presenter on the BBC's Match of the Day, led the tributes.
"Deeply saddened to hear that Jimmy Hill has left us. A football man through and through who gave the game so much in so many ways #RIPJimmy," Lineker wrote on Twitter.
BBC pundit and former England striker Alan Shearer said: "Very sad news about Jimmy Hill. Footballers and football have so much to thank him for. A man who loved the game."
Hill made his name as a player with Brentford and then Fulham in the 1950s, helping the Cottagers to promotion to the old First Division and once scoring five goals in a match against Doncaster.
But it was his achievements off the field that built his legacy and ensured he will be remembered as a trailblazing moderniser who helped revolutionise the sport.
In his role as Professional Footballers' Association chairman, Hill led the campaign for the scrapping of £20-a-week maximum wage for professional footballers and freedom of movement once their contracts expired.
Hill was influential in the introduction of three points for a win instead of two in 1981, and also fought for the right for clubs to wear sponsors' logos on their shirts.
AFP
