Exams cost John his chance of lining up against Pele
SCOTLAND boss Gordon Strachan has admitted he was wrong to take on an end-of-season friendly match against France.
The 3-0 defeat was a boost for the hosts of Euro 2016, but Rangers’ Barrie McKay and Stephen Kingsley of Swansea did get the opportunity to make their international debuts.
Fifty years ago, the Scots were also helping other nations to prepare for a major tournament.
The World Cup took place across England during July and Scotland agreed to take challenge matches against Portugal and Brazil.
That meant international superstars Eusebio and Pele would be gracing Hampden Park.
The Scotland squad picked by manager John Prentice contained seven uncapped players.
Among them were Peter McCloy (Motherwell), Jackie Sinclair (Leicester), Peter Cormack (Hibs) and the Leeds United pair Willie Bell and Jim Storrie.
It would never happen now, but the squad was completed by part-time players Alex Bryce and John McHugh of Clyde.
Prentice knew both players well, having left Shawfield to become national manager just three months earlier.
The Bully Wee boys, along with Jim Storrie, didn’t get the chance to play for Scotland but John McHugh believes he came very close.
He recalled: “I had graduated from Glasgow University the year before and spent that season at college doing teacher training.
“It was a great experience to be part of the Scotland set-up training at Largs, but I was a late arrival.
“I had end-of-term exams that I couldn’t get out of and that delayed my joining up with the squad.
“I think that stopped me playing against Brazil because I was led to believe I was close to being in the team.
“It was still good to be part of a Scotland party facing the World champions and the 1-1 result was a good one for the country.
“We were all at a reception afterwards and the Brazilian party presented us with wallets.
“That gave me the chance to meet Pele and he came across as quite a shy, self-effacing chap.
“It would have been a great honour to play for Scotland but my teaching career was very important to me.
“I was always a part-time player and went on be a head teacher, so I’ve no regrets about taking the exams in 1966.
“There were no problems with the other Scotland players when we trained.
“Several of them were very curious about what it was like being at university while you played professional football.”
John was selected by the previous Scotland manager, Jock Stein, in August 1966 for a game between a Glasgow select and Leeds.
He and Davie McParland of Partick Thistle were the only non-Old Firm players in the team that drew 1-1.
The following season was a remarkable one for John and his Clyde team-mates.
They finished third in the league and reached the Scottish Cup semi-final.
John went on: “We faced the Celtic team who were on their way to winning the European Cup and took them to a replay.
“There was a great chemistry in the squad and we played a good passing style.”
John, now 72, spent 14 years with Clyde before having two seasons with Forfar.