My contest ruse a sign of the times
Few, if any, sporting heroes were as revered as Muhammad Ali – and none enjoyed meeting their fans quite as much.
The Greatest went out of his way to sign autographs and pose for photographs with fans, especially children. Unlike some stars, he would do so whether or not the media was on hand.
Even as the illness that ravaged him continued to take its toll, Ali would make himself available.
That was evident on November 19, 1993, when he came to Glasgow and Edinburgh to sign copies of a book his friend, Howard Bingham, had written about him.
It wasn’t until I stood next to him that I had a true sense of how big he was. The machine-gun chat and one-liners had dried up but his eyes still sparkled.
When I heard he was coming to Waterstones in Glasgow, I knew I had to be there. I also knew I wouldn’t be the only one.
So I came up with the idea of organising a competition for readers to win signed copies of the book Ali was promoting and was able to skip the queue.
I was ushered in to meet the great man, who held out his hand as mine disappeared into his like a child trying on an oven glove.
When you’ve waited all your life to meet your hero, finding the right words can be a problem.
“Thank you for everything,” was the best I could do. He smiled broadly and posed for photos, one of which is prominently displayed in my living room.
Ali then repeated the process with everyone else. No one was left disappointed as he stayed more than two hours beyond his allotted time before fans in Edinburgh got to meet him too.
Ali didn’t have to do that. He did it because he felt it was the right thing to do. That was how Ali lived his life and why he was and remains The Greatest.