IN this day and age Uefa insist upon all unused squad members of European Cup-winning teams appearing, John Terry-style, in full kit to cavort around the pitch in perfectly choreographed celebrations. As ludicrous as this is, it is a far better fate than that faced by men like the original John 'Yogi' Hughes 50 years ago.

It would be hugely unfair to regard men like Hughes as lesser Lions - the man signed from Shotts Bon Accord played five of the nine European ties in Celtic's glory year of 1966-67 before succumbing to an ankle injury - but with sports medicine and air travel not what it is these days the 74-year-old recalled how much of a struggle it was just to get a place on the flight. He required constant medical treatment throughout the trip and was barely able to leave the room. All the pride he felt watching his team-mates take their place in posterity against Internazionale is coloured by his disappointment about being unable to play his part.

"It is a bittersweet memory for me, there is no doubt about that," Hughes said. "If you are not part of the winning team you don't feel like you are part of the team. You smile, but it isn't the same. Anyone who has been in that position would probably tell you the same.

"I got a kick in the ankle against Clyde and they actually weren't going to take me, because they were worried about how the cabin pressure in the plane might affect it. I just begged them to let me on that plane and said 'you can't not take me'. Dr Fitzsimmons was the doctor at the time and I convinced him but I hardly left the room in Lisbon.

"I was rooming with John Cushley. I had a tight bandage on my ankle but when I got there I took the bandage off and the poison was going up and up so I had to send for the doctor. It wasn't my best time in the world. I can't even tell you if I got on the park after the game but I don't think I did. It wasn't like today, where you could just nip on, we were away up in the Gods and there was no easy way down. I can just remember my personal feeling was disappointment."

Hughes did eventually make a European Cup final appearance - not that it is one which he recalls too fondly either. His big chance came three years later, after he had grabbed a goal in an epic semi-final win against Leeds United to take Celtic into the continental showpiece against Feyenoord. He reckons a missed chance in that game was never forgiven by Jock Stein, which led to him being sold by the club against his will.

"We lost that match when we beat Leeds because our attitude going into the game with Feyenoord was that we just had to go on the park and we would win it. It was the wrong attitude and my feeling was that Jock gave us that," says Hughes, a huge admirer of the Celtic current team and their manager Brendan Rodgers,

"Again it was disappointing because I missed a chance in the 1970 final and I think that is what finished me at Celtic Park. Jock could be a funny guy and I think he took the huff because I missed the chance which could have won the cup. He got rid of me after that and that is something I regret. I was only 28 and the sixth highest scorer in the club's history, but within a few months I was finished.

"So when people ask me if I liked Jock Stein, I say no I don't. I went to Crystal Palace, I played against Sheffield United, and scored two goals - and both of them were on goal of the month. One finished second on goal of the season and I think that is because big Jock was on the panel! He wasn't going to get rid of me then give me goal of the season!"

The remaining Lisbon Lions - whether they were on the pitch in Portugal that day or not - have never been closer. And these men, all from 30 miles of the stadium, will spend even more time in each other's company in the remainder of their 50th anniversary season.

"I have been invited to the Henrik Larsson-Lubo Moravcik Legends match, then we are going to the Hydro for the Rod Stewart event on the 25th - it is a concert with Rod and Sir Alex Ferguson is speaking," Hughes said. "We are going to the Crowne Plaza hotel beforehand, staying overnight, then going to a Lisbon Lions lunch at the Hilton Hotel, with a big £300-a-head dinner in the Grosvenor Hotel in London. So it is not all bad I guess. I have got over it a bit."