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THE story behind how boxing legend Muhammad Ali came to the region at the height of his fame can today be revealed.

As the former heavyweight champion of the world celebrates his 70th birthday next week, the Sunday Sun can reveal the strange sequence of events that brought Ali to the North East on Thursday, July 10, 1977.

It was down to a couple of local businessmen with big ideas who managed to get him here.

Johnny Walker was a painter and decorator from South Shields and an ex-boxer with an ambition to bring Ali to the North East to help to raise funds for boys’ boxing clubs in the region.

It seemed like a pipe dream until he put his plan to his pal, the late Jimmy Stanley, a businessman in Swalwell, Gateshead, and also a friend to local amateur boxing.

Jimmy’s wife Joan remembers how the events unfolded and tells the tale of how the champ became an adopted Geordie.

She said: “No one believed that it would happen, but it did.”

Johnny and Jimmy had spoken about Ali’s visit for over a year, then they mentioned it to friend, Larry Shinwell, also a local businessman and decided to go for it. Jimmy and Larry agreed to be the sponsors, and Dick Kirkup, a local sports reporter, joined them.

So when the two sponsors bought a return ticket to the USA for Johnny, Dick in turn contacted the Chicago newspapers alerting them that “a man from the North East of England” was arriving at O’Hare Airport on the off-chance of meeting Ali, in the hope of inviting him to England to raise money for the boys’ boxing clubs.

But when Johnny arrived it was a huge shock to learn that a friend of Ali’s had read the piece in the newspaper and two suited men in a limousine arrived to pick him up to take him on a helicopter ride to Ali’s ranch in Berrign Springs, Michigan.

Joan said: “Muhammad couldn’t believe the cheek of this Geordie, turning up on his doorstep with an invitation to fly nearly halfway around the world. He called Johnny a ‘madman’. But Johnny got to put his plan to him and Muhammad said he’d come.”

The excitement mounted and a committee was set up back home to put the arrangements into action.

Jimmy and Johnny then travelled the length and breadth of England to persuade boxing champions past and present to attend a Parade of the Champions with Ali at the forefront.

Frankie Vaughan, the singing star who was also the president of the National Association of Boys Clubs, agreed to host a banquet at the Mayfair Ballroom in Newcastle and promised to provide an all-star cabaret free of charge.

A list of Ali’s 14 entourage was sent across and good luck wishes came flooding in. Even Prince Charles’s aid at Buckingham Palace sent good wishes along with Downing Street.

The Heavyweight Champion arrived at Newcastle airport and no less than 27 juvenile jazz bands welcomed him and his entourage.

Joan added: “The place was full of wide-eyed eager folk who only now began to believe the unbelievable, only because it was happening before their very eyes.

“While Muhammad Ali was here he agreed to do everything that was asked of him. It was a very full programme of events. Four days and nights. He said: ‘I thought if one crazy man could come all the way across the world from Newcastle he deserved something in return’.”

Later on that first day there was a cocktail party organised by the Variety Club of Great Britain at the Gosforth Park Hotel.On the following day, Friday, he visited the Pendower School for Handicapped Children. He then went to some of the local boys’ clubs where he sparred with some of the young boxers.

On the afternoon, Jimmy took Ali and his entourage to Alnwick Castle, at the invitation of the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland.

In the evening there was a reception at the Lord Mayor’s Mansion House in Newcastle, where all and sundry were introduced to Ali and his wife Veronica. Then it was on to the Mayfair Ballroom for a banquet in his honour.

On the Saturday, in the home town of Johnny Walker, there was a drive in the Jubilee open-top bus from the Jarrow end of the Tyne Tunnel to South Shields’ Market Place where a New Orleans-style marching band joined them to the delight of the thousands of people who thronged along the route.

They then went to Gypsies Green Stadium to have a ‘Parade of the Champions’ with British boxing champions past and present.

Joan added: “The Geordies took him to their hearts when he said ‘Until a few weeks ago, I never even heard of Newcastle. Now I love the place. It’s so much nicer than America. Some people at home point at me and say I’m a freak or weird. There is none of that here. Everyone is so polite and nice and really make me feel like a king.”

In the evening a cavalcade of cars and buses left the Holiday Inn at Wideopen to go to the Washington Sports Centre. He sparred with boxers who had come to be part of it all. Even Johnny Walker got in the ring with him. Jimmy Stanley was at ringside and Terry Downes acted as referee.

Joan said: “On the Sunday Muhammad and his wife Veronica had agreed to have their marriage blessed at the Azhar Mosque at Laygate Lane, South Shields. Veronica looked absolutely stunning in a knee-length white silk dress. The blessing followed a private wedding ceremony which took place a month before in Hollywood.

“The amazing thing about that day was that our niece, Tina Stanley, and our babysitter, Helen Waite, were bridesmaids along with Johnny’s daughter, Wendy.”

Joan added: “Sadly, on the Monday morning everyone was there back at Newcastle Airport to see the champ and his entourage fly off into the sunset.

“Jimmy and Johnny spent the whole visit right by the side of the champion.

“Jimmy drove him around and both he and Johnny stayed in rooms next to him at the Holiday Inn at Wideopen. The experience was to be talked about for the rest of their lives. They were very proud of the achievement, in actually bringing ‘the Greatest’ to Geordieland.

“Unfortunately the main characters in this event have all passed away, but the memories they created will live on in Geordie folklore for many years to come.”