John Hughes (footballer, born 1964) facts for kids
Hughes in 2009
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | John Hughes | ||
| Date of birth | 9 September 1964 | ||
| Place of birth | Edinburgh, Scotland | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –1988 | Newtongrange Star | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1988–1989 | Berwick Rangers | 41 | (14) |
| 1989–1990 | Swansea City | 24 | (4) |
| 1989 | → Alloa Athletic (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 1990–1995 | Falkirk | 134 | (7) |
| 1995–1996 | Celtic | 31 | (2) |
| 1996–2000 | Hibernian | 72 | (4) |
| 2000–2002 | Ayr United | 48 | (2) |
| 2002–2005 | Falkirk | 79 | (5) |
| Total | 434 | (38) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2003–2009 | Falkirk | ||
| 2009–2010 | Hibernian | ||
| 2012 | Livingston | ||
| 2012–2013 | Hartlepool United | ||
| 2013–2016 | Inverness Caledonian Thistle | ||
| 2017 | Raith Rovers | ||
| 2020–2021 | Ross County | ||
| 2021–2022 | Dunfermline Athletic | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
John "Yogi" Hughes (born 9 September 1964) is a Scottish professional football coach and former player. He is often called "Yogi" because he shares a name with another famous Scottish footballer, John 'Yogi' Hughes.
Hughes mostly played as a central defender, which is a player who helps protect the goal. He played for several clubs, including Falkirk (twice), Celtic, Hibernian, and Ayr United.
Towards the end of his playing days, Hughes started coaching. He became the manager of Falkirk in 2003. He helped Falkirk get promoted to the top league in Scotland, the Scottish Premier League. He also led them to a Scottish Cup Final. After Falkirk, he managed Hibernian for a while.
Later, Hughes managed Livingston and then Hartlepool United in England. He then took charge of Inverness Caledonian Thistle in 2013. With Inverness, he achieved a huge success by winning the Scottish Cup in 2015. This was the club's first major trophy! He also led them to play in European football for the first time. After leaving Inverness, he had spells managing Raith Rovers, Ross County, and Dunfermline Athletic.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
John Hughes grew up in Leith, Scotland. He started playing football in junior leagues with Newtongrange Star. His senior career began with Berwick Rangers, where he played as a striker (a player who tries to score goals).
After a short time with Swansea City in England, Hughes became a strong central defender at Falkirk.
His playing career reached its peak when he joined Celtic in 1995. He scored an important goal against their big rivals, Rangers, in a match at Ibrox in March 1996.
After Celtic, he played for his local club Hibernian, then Ayr United. He eventually returned to Falkirk, where he started to take on coaching duties while still playing.
Coaching and Management
Early Management at Falkirk
John Hughes got his first manager job in 2003 at Falkirk. He first shared the role with Owen Coyle. When Coyle left, Hughes became the main manager. He led Falkirk to win promotion to the Scottish Premier League in 2005. This meant they moved up to the highest division in Scottish football.
Falkirk stayed in the top league for four seasons under his leadership. Hughes also guided them to the 2009 Scottish Cup Final, where they narrowly lost 1–0 to Rangers.
Time at Hibernian
Hughes became the manager of Hibernian in 2009. In his first season, he helped the club finish fourth in the SPL. This meant they qualified for the UEFA Europa League, a big European competition. However, after some difficult results at the start of the next season, Hughes and the club agreed for him to leave in October 2010.
Managing Livingston and Hartlepool
In February 2012, Hughes was appointed manager of Livingston. He stayed there for nine months before moving to an English club, Hartlepool United. He took over Hartlepool when they were struggling, having not won a game in 20 matches.
Even though the team's performance improved under him, Hartlepool was still relegated to Football League Two (a lower league in England). Hughes wanted to stay, but he was let go in May 2013.
Success with Inverness Caledonian Thistle
John Hughes became the manager of Inverness Caledonian Thistle in December 2013. Soon after, he led them to their first major final, the 2013–14 Scottish League Cup. They drew 0–0 in the final but lost on penalties.
During the 2014–15 season, Inverness played very well. Hughes won the "Manager of the Month" award twice. In April 2015, he guided Caley Thistle (as Inverness is known) to their first ever Scottish Cup final. They won the final against his old club Falkirk, making it the club's most successful season ever.
He also led Inverness to their highest-ever league finish, coming in 3rd place. This meant the club got to play in European football for the very first time. Hughes won both the PFA Scotland Manager of the Year and SFWA Manager of the Year awards for that amazing season. He left Inverness in May 2016.
Later Management Roles
Hughes had a short time as manager of Raith Rovers in 2017. The club finished low in their league and were relegated to a lower division.
In December 2020, he became manager of Ross County. At the time, the club was at the bottom of the league. Hughes helped them avoid relegation, which meant they stayed in the top league. He left Ross County when his contract ended in May 2021.
His most recent role was as manager of Dunfermline Athletic, starting in November 2021. However, the club was relegated after losing in the play-offs, and Hughes resigned in May 2022.
Managerial Statistics
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| Falkirk | 31 January 2003 | 31 May 2009 | 283 | 117 | 61 | 105 | 41.3 |
| Hibernian | 8 June 2009 | 4 October 2010 | 54 | 19 | 12 | 23 | 35.2 |
| Livingston | 14 February 2012 | 13 November 2012 | 27 | 12 | 5 | 10 | 44.4 |
| Hartlepool United | 13 November 2012 | 9 May 2013 | 29 | 8 | 9 | 12 | 27.6 |
| Inverness Caledonian Thistle | 4 December 2013 | 20 May 2016 | 121 | 50 | 30 | 41 | 41.3 |
| Raith Rovers | 10 February 2017 | 13 May 2017 | 15 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 26.7 |
| Ross County | 21 December 2020 | 24 May 2021 | 21 | 8 | 2 | 11 | 38.1 |
| Dunfermline Athletic | 15 November 2021 | 19 May 2022 | 25 | 6 | 8 | 11 | 24.0 |
| Total | 574 | 223 | 131 | 220 | 38.9 | ||
Honours and Achievements
As a Player
- Falkirk
- Scottish First Division: 1993–94, 2002–03 (These are league titles)
- Scottish Challenge Cup: 1993–94 (A cup competition win)
- Hibernian
- Scottish First Division: 1998–99 (Another league title)
As a Manager
- Falkirk
- Scottish First Division: 2004–05 (League title)
- Scottish Challenge Cup: 2004–05 (Cup competition win)
- Stirlingshire Cup: 2006–07, 2007–08 (Local cup wins)
- Scottish Cup: runners-up 2008–09 (Reached the final)
- Inverness Caledonian Thistle
- Scottish Cup: 2014–15 (Won the main Scottish Cup!)
- Scottish League Cup: runners-up 2013–14 (Reached the final)
Individual Awards
- SPL Manager of the Month: December 2006, September 2009
- League One – Manager of the Month: February 2013
- SPFL Manager of the Month: August 2014, January 2015
- PFA Scotland Manager of the Year: 2014–15 (Award voted by other players)
- SFWA Manager of the Year: 2014–15 (Award voted by football writers)
