Hibs legend John 'Yogi' Hughes celebrates with Leith pensioners after 3,000-mile World Cup challenge
The Leith Legends completed a virtual march covering the distance from Edinburgh to Boston ahead of Scotland’s first game of the World Cup
Hibs legend John “Yogi” Hughes has met with a group of sheltered housing tenants from Leith who walked over 3,070 miles to celebrate the national team qualifying for the World Cup for the first time since 1998.
The residents, known as the "Leith Legends", are aged between 60 and 95 and have spent the last five months completing a virtual march from Edinburgh to Boston.
Their "March to the Match" concluded with a triumphant finish at the Scottish Parliament on the same day thousands of Scots flew to Boston, and now the walkers have returned to their starting point at Easter Road Stadium for a special reception recognising their achievement.
The group was greeted outside the stadium by a bagpiper as they disembarked from their team bus, before they met with Hibs legend John Hughes who presented them with certificates.
“What an effort by the Leith Legends!” said Yogi. “It’s truly a remarkable achievement to have virtually walked all the way to Boston, and I know people at home and over watching in the States will be incredibly proud of them.”
Hughes, who now serves as an ambassador for the Hibernian Community Foundation (HCF), has deep ties to both the club and the local community.
Born and raised in Leith, the former defender helped Hibs return to the top flight as a player in 1999, before later returning to manage the side in 2009 and guiding them into the Europa League.
He continued: “I miss playing football, I miss it every day. But what I miss most about football is the friendship, the band of brothers, the sense of purpose, getting up in the morning, and being a leader.
“Having met a few of the Leith Legends today and in the last few months, I’ve seen all of these things. Well done on a fantastic achievement.”
Maureen Combe, who leads the Sheltered Housing Team at Harbour Homes, said: “The enthusiasm and team spirit that our tenants have brought to this challenge is what made it so special. ]
“They lived up to the name of ‘Leith Legends’ and brought a smile to hundreds if not thousands of people who followed the story of their final mile.”