Born in Flemington, the son of a steel worker, and based in Cambuslang, Hill began an apprenticeship as a shipyard electrician at Harland & Wolff in Glasgow at the age of 14, and took up boxing at the Halfway Miners club in Cambuslang and later the Scottish National club in Bridgeton, winning West and Scottish (featherweight, 1953) titles as an amateur.
[1][3] After a win over Jacques Bataille in June 1955, Hill was set to challenge for Ray Famechon's European title later that month, but the fight was cancelled.
[4] He was due to face Sammy McCarthy in November 1955 in a final eliminator for the British title, but due to a bout of influenza was instructed in October not to fight or train for the remainder of the year;[5][6] He returned to the ring at the end of December with a points win over Jesus Rubio.
[1][3] He made a third defence in April 1959 against Neill, losing the title after being stopped in the ninth round, having been knocked down nine times.
[1][8] This proved to be Hill's final fight, and after retiring from boxing he moved with his family to work in Rugby, Warwickshire before emigrating to Australia.