I got to know John Hughes through his good friend, CQN’s own, Alex Gordon. He was in his 70s by then, but retained a charm and mischievousness. He loved talking football and, in particular, Celtic, who he continued to follow as a fan. Unlike you and I, when John talked Celtic, there was an edge that could only come from playing for the club you loved.
Had he cared less, missing out on Lisbon would not have mattered. It did, though, you could hear the pain in his voice when talking about it. The five European Cup games he played that season, however, brought the team to the final. A chance not converted three years later in Milan also troubled him; John wanted to deliver for Celtic as much as anyone ever did. He scored the equaliser in Celtic’s home semi-final at Hampden against Leeds, front of 136,000 people, which will forever remain an attendance record for a European Cup match.
I often found the Lisbon Lions faultlessly diplomatic. John, however, told it as it was. Some of his experiences cut too deep to bandage over. Fans recount the past through the prism of football results, for players like John, memories of events past were about what you were like as a person. I am glad we had his testimony to eventually add to the annuls of Celtic history.
On the park, he was a Bear of a man. A striker with strength whose record as goal scorer is bettered by only seven others in Celtic’s illustrious 134-year history. He took the club through its most transformational time, the 1960s, when Celtic went from being domestic also-rans to kings of Europe.
For most of us, the most enduring memory of John will not be of a prolific footballer, it will be of a smiling legend we met at Celtic Park. The Celtic world is enormously poorer today; how lucky we were to have such heroes. Our condolences to John’s family and close friends.
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Sunderland interested in McCarthy
BIG WAVY on 2ND AUGUST 2022 10:51 AM
“I wouldn’t want to be remembered for one goal or game, even that match against Leeds. You know what? I would just want it to be known that I was a Celtic man.”
– John ‘Yogi’ Hughes
RIP Legend
Aipple- unless Hearts play on the Wednesday i would guess
A mother of 4 who smashed a glass bottle of a Policeman’s head during the George Square riots,was given 160 hours community service.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
Defence lawyer said”She was under a lot of stress,as during Civic she had not been out much.She did not aim the bottle at this specific officer,but at a group of officers”
Is it just me?.
Coneybhoy- brutal……can you not even get a credit….
Connaire,
He did indeed.The 5-1 game.Was there.1-0 down at half time.
Not sure if our hoops fans from Ireland who
Travel over to see the hoops during the season
Predominately fly to Glasgow
I fly back several times a season for matches from Norway and usually fly to Edinburgh which has a direct bus from Edinburgh airport to Glasgow Buchanan St bus station leaving twice an hour and takes 55 minutes
This is a slightly longer alternative to going to Glasgow airport so might be an option to our travelling fans
Men like John have made and passed on a Club we can rightly be proud off. Thank you John, Mary Queen of Heaven pray for him.
BHOYJOEBELFAST @ 1.12
Remember Yogi v Kilmarnock at Celtic Park,beating 5 or 6 men,nearing the goals and blasting over,but that was Yogi.●
BHOYJOE, a young EMERALDBEE was at his first European night at Paradise in the early 60s to see Celtic thumping Basel 5 – 0. Near the end, in pissing rain, the Bear went on a run in front of the Jungle, beating 3 or 4 players, rounded the keeper then stood on the ball as it stuck in the mud on the line. Oh how we laughed (because we were 5 up!)
RIP John.
https://www.celticfc.com/news/2022/august/01/celtic-great–john–yogi–hughes-passes-away/?utm_source=club&utm_medium=email&utm_content=hero&utm_campaign=2223-news&g4id=5
CELTICFOREVER on 2ND AUGUST 2022 1:48 PM
Not sure if our hoops fans from Ireland who
Travel over to see the hoops during the season
Predominately fly to Glasgow
I fly back several times a season for matches from Norway and usually fly to Edinburgh which has a direct bus from Edinburgh airport to Glasgow Buchanan St bus station leaving twice an hour and takes 55 minutes
This is a slightly longer alternative to going to Glasgow airport so might be an option to our travelling fans.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
For those who fly to the games, yes this is a good alternative CELTICFOREVER but the vast majority of fans travel by ferry from Belfast or Larne.
AIPPLE on 2ND AUGUST 2022 1:13 PM
!!BADA BING!! on 2ND AUGUST 2022 12:50 PM
Hearts EL dates are 18 & 25 August, Hearts at home will be on the Sunday now…..
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Hey good sir. So the Hearts game is now 3pm on the 21st? The Sunday?
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No Aipple at this point in time no official notice from @spfl.
This situation has been known of for some 6 weeks
Nope,let fans go book trips,publish details of the game,advertise it,so all going to and fro can organise their diary,
At this rate we find out on Sunday morning.@spfl need a dunt
HH
EMERALD @1.49
Memories of the big man.
R.I.P Yogi…Loved the way you played…..
Born in 66, allthough I got taken to games from the age of 3 or 4, I cant remember Yogi playing at all.
I can remember Jinky for the red hair right in front of the jungle, Big Billy , and Lennox, but just dont remember anyone else. Sorry and Tommy Gemmell.
During the late 70s I spent a chunk of the summers in Watford and Streatham, and got to taken or sent to quite a few games including early season games at Palace.
One of my fathers pals was a palace fan, and in the Horse and Groom he would talk about best goal he ever saw as being John Hughes for Palace vs Sheffield United in a 5-1 win.
Is tis the goal that Stein didnt vote for when judging goal of the season 1971 or 72 ?
I had never seen it till now, hit the video play button.
Almost uncanny that it is an identikit copy of Jota on sunday.
https://www.cpfc.co.uk/news/club/crystal-palaces-john-yogi-hughes-1943-2022/2022-08-02/
He rallied one last time on Sunday to sing us ‘Grace ‘as best he could.#
His last conscious acts were hanging on for YNWA & giving us a fist pump celebration
for Stephens goal.There is undeniable magic about this club we all love.
A Celtic man until his last breath.
@yogijunior3.
https://videocelts.com/2022/08/blogs/latest-news/poignant-last-actions-of-yogi-as-the-baton-is-passed-on/
Apologies if posted already my mate sent me it.I don’t do Twitter or facebook.
How Strong a man was he at the last.
on travel chaos …………… BA announce all short haul flights from heathrow are cancelled until 15th August.
No domestic flights from there to Glasgow, Edinburgh Aberdeen and Inverness.
wonderful skills.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1554205161366716417
Great seeing all the lovely comments and memories of a player I never saw playing for the HOOPS. My first game in Scotland was in 1995 although I attended friendlies in Ireland from 1986 onwards.
RIP Yogi.
Don Robertson MIB v Ross County…….who can’t see a red card when it’s against us,Clancy at Poundland, suitably terrified of thems,after his spell on the Naughty Step
Aipple: Enjoy your return home next week.
even better with the original commentary
https://youtu.be/MqnYMvSb32E
Celticforever: most Irish fans who fly via Dublin will choose either Glasgow or Edinburgh as a matter of course. Very often a supporters bus will be hired if travelling via Auld Reekie.
He’s here, he’s there, he’s every f……n where, feed the bear.
RIP John Hughes.
Great celt, nice man.
Big Yogi in FULL FLIGHT was a Joy to Behold.
FEED THE BEAR was the Cry……of TENS of THOUSANDS…
JOHN HUGHES R.I.P.
Magic memories of a truly GREAT CELTIC MAN..
YNWA.
Turkeybhoy / Connaire 12
The 5-1 game was in Jan 1966 – was in the Jungle that day – awesome 2nd half
AN TEARMANN on 2ND AUGUST 2022 2:14 PM
It’s nonsense.
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ALMORE on 2ND AUGUST 2022 2:55 PM
Cheers! Just a little bit excited!
HH!
always remember the bales of hay around the pitch to protect from the frost , no undersoil heating in them days.
I see chatter about Lawwell as chairman (boo dont do it celtic plc).
Any other primary candidates ?
any left fielders ?
old school , trusted partner, Martin O’Neill ?
new era new thinking , what about Brendan O’Hara.
new era, get with the diversity programme – Elaine C Smith
Ross County v Celtic
cinch Premiership
06/08/2022 3:00pm The Global Energy Stadium
Referee:Don Robertson
AR1
Calum Spence
AR2
Steven Traynor
Fourth Official
Gavin Duncan
Jim Spence on Twitter compares Yogi to “a bit of the Gareth Bale in full flow”. Nice.
The reason big Yogi was unplayable at times was that he didn’t know what he was going to do – Feed the Bear 🐻
https://www.scotsman.com/news/obituaries/obituary-billy-hughes-fa-cup-winner-sunderland-and-scotland-internationalist-younger-brother-yogi-1398802
GENE on 2ND AUGUST 2022 3:07 PM
Turkeybhoy / Connaire 12
The 5-1 game was in Jan 1966 – was in the Jungle that day – awesome 2nd half
…………………
I wasnt at that game, as my DA wouldnt take me as he claimed I was too young to attend a game against The HUNS. I had just turned 10 years old the month before the game.
However…
My DA drove from the game in his Taxi to my Grand Parents hoose ( They brought me up) in Easterhouse. I can STILL remember that me and my Granda listened to the game on the Wireless, and when my DA arrived he was Singing and Dancing about the 5-1 Victory, with me on his shoulders singing along.
I dont know how many times that ma heid battered aff the living room ceiling…but I didnt care !
I suspect that my DA had driven straight to his parents hoose ( MY Hoose) after the game, so that he could ” TAP” his wee MAW, for Bevvy money, as he planned to chuck his Taxi Shift EARLY…..In LIQUID CELEBRATION !
LOL
HH
SCULLYBHOY on 2ND AUGUST 2022 3:49 PM
……………
Great story about BILLY HUGHES Career…Big Yogis brother.
Billy Hughes R.I.P.
YNWA.
Arriving at the ground only seconds before KO on Sunday (Owing to the actions of the Megabus driver , a Hun) I missed the rendition of `Grace.` I have , though, just listened to it in the link at 2:34 pm ( Thanks, Celticforever). It is fantastic and , much as I love `YNWA`, I feel `Grace` could be an even more powerful anthem for our support.