John McHugh
All at the club are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of one of our finest and longest-serving players, and two-time Hall of Fame inductee, John McHugh, this morning.
John began his career at Brunswick Boys Club alongside future Bully Wee teammate Harry Hood, and after a brief but impressive spell with Dennistoun Waverley, John signed for Clyde in September 1961.
John made his Clyde debut the following January in a 4-1 victory over Stenhousemuir, aged just 18. A wing-half, he went on to help Clyde win the Second Division that season and quickly gained a reputation for skilful and intelligent play, whilst also being very hard but fair in the tackle.
John established himself as one of the first-choice picks under John Prentice and played every game of the 1965-66 season. Despite being a part-time player, John earned a call-up to the Scotland squad for the match against the Netherlands in March, as well as the summer friendlies against Brazil and Portugal. Unfortunately, his university exams clashed with the initial squad training sessions, and he did not make the XI for either match, where he would have come up directly against Pelé and Eusébio.
John did receive recognition later that summer, though, when he was selected for the Glasgow FA XI to face Leeds United at Hampden in the Glasgow Charity Cup.
That was the curtain-raiser to the famous 1966-67 season, when The Bully Wee finished third in the top flight behind the Old Firm, taking the Lisbon Lions to a replay in the Scottish Cup semi-final just a few weeks before they were crowned Champions of Europe. John missed just two games that season.
John continued to stand out for Clyde in the following seasons but was happy to remain a part-time player whilst embarking on an off-field career in teaching. He was an ever-present again in 1968-69 as The Bully Wee reached the League Cup semi-final, losing to Celtic by a solitary goal once again, and toured Rhodesia with the club at the end of the season, remaining undefeated after ten games.
The late sixties and early seventies saw a changing of the guard, with many of the stalwarts from John’s time moving on and being replaced by youngsters. John was one of the few veteran players retained by Archie Robertson, with his experience on and off the field proving beneficial to the emerging side.
Clyde were relegated in 1971-72, but John was part of the squad which won the Second Division at the first attempt the following year, securing immediate promotion back to the top tier.
After 14 seasons, John’s time at Shawfield came to an end following the conclusion of the 1974-75 campaign. He spent a couple of seasons with Forfar Athletic before hanging up his boots.
John racked up a total of 469 competitive appearances for The Bully Wee, placing him fifth in the club’s all-time appearances list, and scored 20 goals.
John would often return to see Clyde and was paraded on the park along with other club legends at the final game at Shawfield in 1986.
John’s story with Clyde continued in 2014, when he was inducted into the Clyde Hall of Fame alongside his teammates from the legendary 1966-67 squad, and again in 2019, when he was inducted outright on his own merit.
The thoughts and condolences of everyone at the club are extended to John’s wife Alice, and to the rest of his family and friends at this sad time.