MUHAMMAD ALI - THE GREATEST!

MUHAMMAD ALI | An extraordinary visit from the world champion

Muhammad Ali was the greatest boxer of his generation. But in 1977 he swapped his boxing gloves to make a charity trip to South Shields. Inside Out looks back at this memorable visit.

There was once one undisputed champion of the boxing ring. Forget Tyson, Lewis or Bruno, Mohammed Ali was "the greatest".

And there was one part of the UK that had a special place in his heart…thanks to a remarkable visit in the 1970s.

July 1977 was the month that the unthinkable happened - "the greatest" visited the North East of England.

Three-times world boxing heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali took time out to visit the seaside town of South Shields.

Inside Out winds back the clock and looks at the huge impact that Ali had on local people when he toured the region.

A day to remember

It was the impossible dream - one of the world's sporting icons accepting an invitation to South Shields to help raise money for a boxing club.

It was a bit like The Beatles coming to your home for dinner at their peak.

Thousands could say "I was there" to see 'the greatest'

So how did Ali end up visiting a small Tyneside town thousands of miles from home?

Johnny Walker, a painter and decorator from Whitburn, had known Ali from his boxing days.

He asked him to help in raising money for his boxing club in South Shields.

Ali was happy to oblige, being a keen supporter of charitable causes.

The people of Tyneside turned out in their thousands as Ali toured the borough in an open topped bus.

On his tour he visited South Shields' Gypsy's Green stadium, tried his hand at darts, and sparred with a local professional fighter, Reg Long.

"You felt as if you could be sparing with Jesus Christ. He was a little above you," the boxer recalls.

Thriller on Tyneside

Ali was impressed by the warmth of his reception in the North East, and was moved to say, "I've never been so honoured, not in America itself by Government officials and authority".

Ali was a very religious man

"I'm overjoyed, and next time I go into the ring, I will remember how many people I have routing for me back here."

He even went as far as having his recent marriage blessed in the town's mosque, wearing a striking all-white suit.

Ali had been brought into the Church of Islam after meeting the black activist Malcolm X.

He initially changed his name to Cassius X, and then to Muhammad Ali.

On his visit to South Shields, fellow Muslims flocked to see him in their thousands, coming from all over the North.

A sporting legend

When Ali visited South Shields, he was at the peak of his boxing career.

Ali meets a child on his visit to South Shields

"There was really no one else on the planet that had that sort of mass appeal," says Peter Gillanders.

"Seeing children staring at him open mouthed, who would have believed that 'the greatest', as he called himself, was visiting them."

It's a view shared by Muriel Oates who met Ali when he visited Pendower Special School in Newcastle on his trip.

"He was just so head and shoulders above anyone else - just so handsome and had personality with a capital P," she said.

Sting like a bee

Ali's early interest in boxing started in an unlikely way - with a stolen bicycle... thousands of miles from South Shields.

The teenager promised to "whup" whoever stole the bike, but the police told him that he'd better learn to box first.

So the young Cassius Clay (as he was called then) started boxing, and won his first bout.

His dedication and hard work paid off with success at an amateur level.

Soon he was carving a niche as a professional, renowned for the "Ali Shuffle", a balletic foot manoeuvre designed to outwit his opponents.

He was also developing a reputation as the "Louisville Lip", known for his banter and fast-talking personality.

This was unheard of at time when managers "spoke" for their boxers.

Ali was a new type of boxer who had a huge personality and spoke his own mind.

Ali went on to win the heavyweight championship of the world three times, and become one of boxing's all-time greats.

One of his most memorable victories was against champion George Forman in the so-called "Rumble in the Jungle" in Zaire.

Ali was the underdog but went on to defeat the champion, cheered on by adoring Africans who had taken him to their hearts.

Ali today

Today Ali is 61 and lives on a ranch in Michigan in the United States, but his public appearances are rare because he suffers from Parkinson's Disease.

Ali finds it hard to express himself verbally these days because of his condition, but his mind is still very active.

Hana was just one year old when she visited South Shields

Inside Out showed him and his daughter Hana the archive films of his visit.

Hana was just a baby when Ali came on the visit.

She says that her father was excited to see the old films - they made him feel happy, seeing his young wife and new baby.

"He felt sentimental. It was a time when youth was still ahead of him.

"He was happy and it took him back. It's probably the best medicine," says Hana as she watches her father's eyes light up with pride.

He punches the air with his fists as if to recall his glory days whilst watching the old films

An icon and inspiration

Don't quote me - Ali quips

"Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee" "I Am The Greatest" "My face is so pretty, you don't see a scar, which proves I'm the king of the ring by far" "My opponents are like postage stamps, they're always gettin' licked" "I have wrestled with an alligator. I have tussled with a whale. I have handcuffed lightning and thrown thunder into jail"

Ali has inspired millions worldwide, giving many Parkinson's Disease sufferers hope, and he continues to contribute to numerous charitable causes.

He's also a United Nations "Messenger of Peace".

A major project for Ali has been the Muhammad Ali Center.

It's the mission of the centre to share the ideals of Muhammad Ali, to promote respect, hope, and understanding, and to inspire adults and children everywhere to be as great as they can be.

It's a cultural and educational institution that draws on non-traditional museum experiences, interactive technology, and educational work.

'The greatest'

Ali was an icon, a symbol of his times and a role model for a generation of white and black people.

But for the people of South Shields, they'll always remember the day when "the greatest" visited their town.

It's a day that Ali hasn't forgotten either ...