The cult of Jimmy Hill OBE

Despite not having played professional football for nearly half a century, the mighty Jimmy William Hill OBE is enjoying more attention than ever and has an online following any wannabe celeb would be feeding Max Clifford fifties to achieve.

What is so special about Jimmy Hill? Well this Balham-born bloke is the originator of that peculiar British gesticulation, the chin rub. He started his playing career at Brentford in 1949, moved to Fulham four years later, was chairman of the Professional Footballers Association in 1957-61 where he led a successful campaign to lift the ceiling on the then £20 maximum wage. He then managed Coventry City and instigated a light blue kit so they became known as the Sky Blues and took the team from the depths of the third division into the first. No wonder Coventry later gave him a job as Managing Director and then Chair.

1967 saw Jimmy enter the world of broadcasting, where he remains today. His first telly job was as Head of Sport for ITV before joining the Beeb to front-up Match of The Day. Jimmy's penchant as a pundit is awesome: the man has commented on every World Cup since 1966 and been honoured with a Lifetime Achievement award by the Royal Television Society. He's also credited with first coming up with the concept of three points for a win, and writing the lyrics for Coventry City and Arsenal songs. In true heroic style, Jimmy saved the day at Highbury in 1972 when he was a spectator at an Arsenal match which was about to be abandoned because the linesman was injured. Jimmy stepped out of the crowd, took on the job and the game continued.

For some, Jimmy's 1978 Think Bike campaign is one of the best public service ads ever although even committed Hillists have trouble with the dodgy McDonalds ad.

The dedicated folk behind jimmyhill.co.uk have created a gallery of "the largest collection of Jimmy Hill pictures that the world has ever seen" and organised a special day trip to London armed with stickers promoting the website. You can also get a range of Jimmy Hill cartoons here.

While - hands up - we haven't read his autobiography which published in 1998, it's generally thought to be a bit rubbish. We recommend instead checking out the Jimmy Hill worship which has been gathering momentum on our own message board for some time. Feel the Jimmy love as Jimmy pops up in Photoshop homages via The Apprentice, Deal No Deal, the Mona Lisa, The Stone Roses and our current fave, Hilly Allen - check the thread here.

Jimmy Hill can be booked for engagements via the Gordon Poole agency - if you have seen Jimmy in person, please let us know how it was!

Total credit for pix to the threads posse.