19/12/2015 BBC Weekend News

He was a player, a broadcaster, and a legend of the game.

Jimmy Hill, the former Match Of The Day presenter,

He'd been suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

During his career, he successfully argued for the abolition of the ?20

Gary Lineker this afternoon described Jimmy Hill as a genuine

innovator, and a football man through and through.

Our sports correspondent Andy Swiss looks back at a remarkable life.

Good evening and welcome to match other day on the last Saturday...

The face of football, but so much more. Player, manager, broadcaster

and innovator, if you have influenced the modern game as much

as Jimmy Hill. Born in south London, he first made

his name on the pitch for Fulham in the 1950s off it, he would soon have

a greater impact, as head of the players union when he brought an end

the ?20 maximum wage cap and the first time footballers could cash

in. This is Jimmy Hill, Fulham's famous

bearded inside right, using new Remington.

As manager of Coventry in the 1960s, he brought promotion and also that

pioneering spirit. He introduced pre-match entertainment, trains to

take fans to away games. Having guided them to the top flight, he

suddenly quit for a new career in TV.

At ITV, he created the idea of having football pundits, before he

moved to the BBC and Match Of The Day.

Good evening and welcome to Match Of The Day.

During the 1970s, that famous chin and distinctive beard turned him

into football's biggest fixture but all the time he made a trailblazer.

He returned to country as chairman and led the battle against

hooliganism. He pushed for the introduction of

three points for a win, shirt sponsorship. So much of the current

game not least its bulky pairs is down to him.

He abolished the maximum wage. A lot of professional footballers since

then have a lot to thank him for, for that. He was always a great

innovator. Always looking to improve things.

He rarely shirt a challenge. He stepped in as an emergency linesman

at one game, took up horse riding for a TV programme, and a regular

target for satirists. He was more than happy to put fun at himself.

Losing games in football is not something they wanted to do.

Winning, yes, losing, you don't want to do that.

From his real-life colleagues, only affection.

He was by my side, a reassuring figure, correcting me quietly when I

went wrong. He had that kind of personality and humanity, and a

fantastic sense of humour. Most of all, he thought of things before

other people did. Indeed, he was a man ahead of his

time. While his forthright views they have divided opinion, his

impact on modern football is surely beyond dispute.

The footballer and broadcaster Jimmy Hill, who died today

There are fresh hopes that the end of the war in Syria could be a step

closer, after a United Nations peace plan received the unanimous backing

The plan calls for a nationwide ceasefire, and formal talks

about a new inclusive government, although there is no mention

Our chief international correspondent, Lyse Doucet, reports.

Nearly five years of fighting have left Syria in ruin.

Torn between a vast array of rebel forces battling

The so-called Islamic State has taken territory too and that's

The bitter battles over Syria's future also blocked the UN

Security Council for years, but now at last, the deadlock

The time is now to stop the killing in Syria,

lay the groundwork for a Government, that the long-suffering people

The new road map is hugely ambitious.

Along we efforts to reach a ceasefire.

The goal is a transitional, national unity Government within six

months and UN supervised elections a year later.

To achieve this, they had to put aside the biggest dispute,

Not only for moral reasons because of the destruction he has

unleashed upon his own people, but for practical reasons because it

will never be possible to bring peace and unity to Syria as long

But Russia's new military intervention in Syria

is strengthening President Assad's forces along key front lines

TRANSLATION: My counterparts say let's start a political process

that those who want to oust Assad are getting some hope

It is very sad that once again, our common task, that is,

putting an end to terrorism has become hostage to one personality.

This is no longer just Syria's war, but millions of Syrians of paying

Syria has been called the humanitarian test of our time,

now it is the greatest of political challenges.

Today is expected to be the busiest shopping day of the year.

Many retailers have started their sales early,

rather than wait until after Christmas,

and more than 12.5 million of us are thought to be

bargain-hunting on what analysts are calling Panic Saturday.

Our business correspondent, Joe Lynam, has been out

A few years ago, getting discounts of up to 50% before Christmas Day

was unheard of. Now, it is the norm. It is the last Saturday before

Christmas, and retail experts believe we will spend as much as ?6

billion over the next Unseasonably warm weather and

disappointing sales on Black Friday have meant some retailers have a lot

of stock which they need to shift before the winter sales begin after

Christmas. Can I this? This has had the effect of bringing forward heady

discounting by some stores such as Debenhams, Argos and H

The winner? Consumers. Some of it has been spontaneous.

I have bought, do things for the Christmas table.

If you are panic buying, you are not likely to get a bargain because you

don't have time. I am literally buying from the first shot I walk

into. It is utter and complete misery.

But it is Christmas. We bought a laptop today with a good count --

good discount. I will wake tomorrow.

Footfall, the number of people physically crossing thresholds, is

down slightly on last year according to some analysts, most due to the

ever increasing rise in online shopping.

The UK high street is much more competitive than it has ever been.

One reason is the shopper is much more experienced, knowledgeable,

they will go online to tell them what is what. So when they walk into

a shop, they are expecting a nice experience. If they don't get that,

they walk out. It was shirt sleeves weather in some

parts which will have coaxed extra shoppers to the high Street but to

make them spend shopkeepers have had to slash their prices.

The former Netherlands boss Guus Hiddink has been appointed

He replaces Jose Mourinho who was sacked on Thursday.

Our sports correspondent, David Ornstein, is at Stamford

We received the news shortly before kick-off here, when Chelsea played

Sunderland, they won 3-1, that Guus Hiddink would be the interim manager

until the end of the season. He is partly experienced, his 15th post in

management. He took a deep couple of chairs away from Roman Abramovich,

and released this statement saying he is especially looking forward to

renewing his relationship with the wonderful Chelsea supporters. Many

of those supporters inside Stamford Bridge by singing the name of Jose

Mourinho. Others felt it was the right decision to sack him. Jose

Mourinho released a statement this morning which said this.

This was through his management company, he will not take a

sabbatical, he is not tied, he is very positive and is already looking

forward. So we could be seeing him back in a job soon. But his old club

Chelsea will be led by Guus Hiddink. There's more about all those stories

throughout the evening on the BBC I'll be back with the late

news here at 10.10pm. Now, on BBC One, it's time

for the news where you are.