Fans have lined the streets outside Celtic Park to pay their final respects to club legend and Lisbon Lion John ‘Yogi’ Hughes. Hundreds of supporters have gathered to mourn outside the stadium in Glasgow East End after the hero was laid to rest today.
The great was led past a Celtic Park for one last time in a procession from St Mary’s Church in Calton. A banner reading ‘RIP Yogi, a Celtic man until his last breath’ was draped by crowds dressed in green and white as they gathered to pay their final respects.
As the procession was drawn along Celtic Way, applause was paid by fans who went on to throw roses and flags behind the hearse. Yogi, who scored an incredible 189 goals for the Parkhead side between 1959 and 1971, has been remembered as ‘an entertainer’ and ‘a massive character’ among those who turned out to honour his legacy.
Frank Spiers, 68, from Renfrew, said: “I’ve been watching him since I was about nine-years-old. “He was an absolute entertainer. We used to watch him charging about in sand shoes when the pitch was so cold. How he got a grip of the ground, we don’t know.
“When he was good, he was unstoppable and incredible to watch. He was a comedian as well, often when folk tried to take the ball from him. He was a Celtic legend and he will be remembered as an entertainer.
“If he was still playing today, he would be well up there.” Bernadette Finlay, 80, from the Cowcaddens, said: “I followed him from being just a wee lassie, we would get carried into Celtic Park at that time.
“He was a great player, he was a bit like Giorgos today. He was wonderful on the pitch, I think when other teams saw him coming they didn’t know what was going to happen next.” Others described the hero as ‘the definition of a Celtic man’
Paul Cannon and his younger brother, John, were among the younger fans to line the streets. Despite not seeing the great play football in person, the brothers have said his legacy will remain in the club forever.
Paul, 24, from Cathcart, said: “He was just the definition of a Celtic man, he was a Celtic man until his last breath. “He was a legend of the club and will never be forgotten. I’m young so I never got to see him in-person but I have heard that he was at the very heart of the team and a huge character.”
Brother John, 12, added: "It is sad but he will rest easy having had a great life at Celtic and a full career. It is sad to see him go.
"I am always really impressed by the older players. He carried Celtic in his heart so I am glad I can be here today to pay my respects."
Toni McFadden and his son, Toni junior, travelled from Gourock in Inverclyde to watch the procession. Toni senior, 64, said: “I’m very happy to have seen the big man. Was he used enough, probably not as much as others would have used him.
“I always remember he wore sambas on an icy park. If there was ever a day I should be wearing sambas, it is today. He was a different player but big Jock knew when to play him. He was a Celtic man through and through and he wanted to be remembered as one.”
Toni junior, 27, said: “Even though I wasn’t there to witness Yogi play, it is players like him that make this club so special. It’s hard to compare him to today’s players. We’ve got legends who are amazing but it was a different era back then.”
Yogi sadly passed away in hospital earlier this month having battled a short illness.
The striker’s lengthy career lead him to win a European Cup winners’ medal, but was not in the Lisbon Lions team that beat Inter Milan in the final.
He went on to play for Crystal Palace in 1971 and ended his career in management at Baillieston Juniors and Stranraer. The striker, from Coatbridge in North Lanarkshire, was a regular at only Celtic Park until very recently.
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
