JOHN Hughes has the distinction of being Mid Wales’ first ever Welsh international Indeed the Hughes family were among the earliest of football pioneers in Mid Wales and played a pivotal role in the creation of Aberystwyth Town Football Club.

Glynpadarn born Hughes was one of three brothers who endeavoured to establish a club in the town with John, popularly known as Jack, recorded to have played alongside siblings Hugh and Arthur in a match in Aberystwyth as early as 1873.

Hughes had been educated in the fledgling game at Shrewsbury School which played a key role in the development of the laws of the sport where the first rules had been devised in 1863.

A decade later the forward from Aberystwyth had risen to the first eleven at the prestigious school while also joining his brothers in their attempts to establish a football club on the Ceredigion coast.

Hughes left his hometown once again in 1874 having been admitted to Cambridge University.

Hughes continued his football education alongside his more scholarly pursuits at the Jesus College for the next four years while also turning out for alongside his brothers for Aberystwyth.

Hughes had not been included in the first Welsh international squad which had lost 4-0 in Scotland in March, 1876.

However the following year Hughes heard his nation’s call for the return match and would line-up for his country in their first ever home fixture which resulted in a 2-0 defeat to the Scots in Wrexham.

Hughes earned a reputation as a star of the fledgling Aberystwyth side.

In November 1877 Hughes lined up in Aberystwyth's first ever game against Newtown which would herald the beginning of a rivalry still contested to this day.

A report in the November 24 edition of the Aberystwyth Observer stated: 'Time after time Hughes literally ran away with the ball, evading his opponents until close to their goal, to the great delight of the onlookers, who cheered and loudly called upon his colleague's to ''back him up up.'

Curiously the report failed to include a result but added 'the match was the best that has been played on the Aberystwyth ground.'

Hughes would earn only one further cap for his country.

Two years later and now graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, Hughes became the first Aberystwyth player to represent Wales though was unable to prevent his side falling to a 3-0 defeat to Scotland in Wrexham.

It proved to be the swansong in Hughes’ football career.

In the same year the 24 year old departed his hometown for the last time to pursue a career in law until his death in Bloomsbury in 1914.

However Hughes’ role as a football pioneer was never to be forgotten, particularly in Aberystwyth where his family had done so much with the modern day club established by his brother Arthur in 1884.

Hughes was remembered as the ‘first exponent of the association game in Aberystwyth.’ It was later said ‘The pre-eminence of Jack Hughes cannot be over emphasised. He was one of the best forwards in the United Kingdom. At that period, combination was unknown and a single player in a team counted a lot, so that Aberystwyth in virtue alone of their possession of a footballer of so much renown held a high place in the football world.’