Sunday Supplement panel pay tribute to former host Jimmy Hill

The Sunday Supplement panel have paid their respects to former player, manager and broadcaster Jimmy Hill, who died on Saturday at the age of 87.

Hill, who hosted the Supplement from 1999 until 2006 and is often recognised as a pioneer of modern football, passed away following a battle with Alzheimer's disease.

The Mail on Sunday's Oliver Holt believes Hill was a "revolutionary" figure for the game.

"He did love his football and it's easy to forget what a huge part of our sporting culture he was. I loved doing this show with him," Holt said.

"We seemed to spend a large part of our youth being exasperated by him and that was part of his appeal - he was almost like a college lecturer and was an intelligent man with opinions that created debate.

"When I heard about his passing yesterday, I realised that I never quite appreciated what a revolutionary and a huge influence he was on our game - particularly the abolition of the maximum wage in 1961.

"He was an incredible football man. He's a huge figure in our game."

The Telegraph's Sam Wallace also paid tribute to Hill - and remembered when he first made his Supplement appearance alongside the former Coventry boss.

"Someone estimated yesterday that footballers have made around £14m in wages since he got the maximum wage abolished," Wallace said.

"He had very strong opinions, but you never felt that he was a rude man or a confrontational man. I actually started on this show when he was in his last couple of years and, like the viewers, he had no idea who I was - but he was really kind to me and would listen to my half-baked opinions and entertained them.

"I couldn't believe I was sharing the same studio as him, he was an amazing guy."

The Daily Mirror's John Cross believes football owes Hill a "huge debt of gratitude" after he helped introduce the 'three points for a win' rule in 1981.

"The pictures that sit alongside the tributes sum him up best. In each picture, he'd have this mischievous grin - it's the sense of humour he had," Cross said.

"He really didn't take himself seriously and could laugh at himself. It's a really great quality to have. He revolutionised football, arguably, more than anyone else.

"The best thing of all was the three points. Look at yesterday, there were so many away wins and that is partly down to Jimmy Hill - who encouraged entertaining football and brought football into a new era. I do think we owe him a huge debt of gratitude, and I do love that smile."