John “Yogi” Hughes has been appointed manager of Raith Rovers following the dismissal of former Hearts’ boss Gary Locke.
Hughes played for Berwick Rangers, Swansea, Falkirk, Celtic, Hibs and Ayr United before taking over as manager of the Bairns in 2003.
He spent six years at Falkirk where he led the club to the Scottish Cup Final before replacing Mixu Paatelainen at Easter Road.
Hughes qualified for European football after finishing 4th in the top flight however he left the following season after a poor set of results.
He had short spells at Livingston and Hartlepool before famously leading Inverness Caledonian Thistle to Scottish Cup triumph in 2015.
Raith Rovers CEO Eric Drysdale said: “We are very happy to introduce John Hughes as the man who will take charge for our remaining games this season. It’s only 48 hours since I first contacted John’s agent Raymond Sparkes and it’s been a whirlwind day or two pulling this deal together. It’s fair to say we are excited to have been able to attract someone of John’s experience and calibre – a man who was voted PFA Scotland and SFWA Manager of the Year in 2015 following significant successes as boss of Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC.
“Although this agreement extends only until the end of this season, we’re confident John’s particular brand of management will bring a freshness to Stark’s Park and excite our fans. Most importantly, the team has been a bit lacking in confidence of late, and if there is any manager in Scottish football better equipped than Yogi to do something about that, then I’ve no idea who that person is.”
Speaking about the appointment Hughes said, “This role appealed to me straight away not just because of my knowledge of the club itself but also because of a very enthusiastic approach from Rovers to my agent, Raymond Sparkes. I feel this is a good fit for me at this stage of my career and though the task ahead will be a challenging one in a very competitive league, I’m confident I can make a telling, positive impact at the football club before the end of this season!”
Hughes first game will be at home against Hibs on 18th February.
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
