CELTIC will honour John ‘Yogi’ Hughes with a minute’s applause before kick-off at this afternoon’s Premiership game against Hearts at Parkhead.
The club great, the eighth-highest-scoring player in the team’s history with 189 goals, passed away at the age of 79 on August 1 after a short illness.
Travelling supporters to Dingwall five days later displayed their appreciation of the powerhouse forward – known as “Big Yogi” to his legions of adoring fans during his 12-year Hoops career – with a thoughtful tribute banner which read: ‘YOGI – A CELTIC MAN. REST IN PEACE’.
UNSTOPPABLE…John ‘Yogi’ Hughes in full flow during his Celtic heyday.
The champions won 3-1 against Ross County and were on their journeys again a week later when they overcame Kilmarnock 5-0 at Rugby Park.
Today is the first opportunity the club have to express their gratitude to the service of a genuine Celtic icon who scored on his debut as a 17-year-old rookie centre-forward in a 2-0 League Cup win over Third Lanark in the east end of Glasgow on August 13 1960.
The funeral service on August 12 can be seen here on Celtic YouTube. There are eulogies from his fellow-Lisbon Lion Jim Craig, friend and author Alex Gordon who co-wrote his best-selling autobiography, ‘Yogi Bare: The Life and Times of a Celtic Legend’, and son John.
* DON’T miss the unbeatable match report from Celtic v Hearts at Parkhead this afternoon – only in your champion CQN.
