Abingdon family share personal memories of their times with Muhammad Ali

Paddy Monaghan, a former bare knuckle fighter who said he was "like a brother" to the three-time world heavyweight champion, will pay his respects with his wife Sandra and son Tyrone at his Sutton Courtenay home.

In the days when heads of state and film stars waited patiently in line to shake the hand of Ali, "The Greatest" always found time to visit Paddy, now 72, and his family at their housing estate in Abingdon.

Chauffeur-driven cars were hardly a common sight in Saxton Road, but residents in the council estate knew well enough why the best-ever boxer's Rolls-Royce would be parked outside number 111.

On some 20 occasions, the most famous pugilist on the planet crossed the Atlantic to see Paddy, who he came to regard as one of his closest friends.

And when Ali passed away on Saturday aged 74 after a 32-year battle with Parkinson's disease, Tyrone, 50, told the Oxford Mail the moment he broke the news to his father - who is currently suffering ill health.

The father-of-three said: "I walked into my dad's bedroom and he knew. I told him Muhammad had died and he said 'no, no, no'.

"Muhammad used to call my dad brother and dad used to call him brother. He was family to us."

The bond that remained unbroken for more than 40 years was one of the most unlikely friendships in sport.

It began when Paddy, a father-of-five, led a single-man campaign for the return of Ali's boxing licence in 1967, when The Champ refused to be drafted into the American forces at the time of the Vietnam war.

"It all started when my dad set up a petition. It was in the days before the internet so it was all by hand," Tyrone said.

"He went to London and gathered signatures. My dad who is dyslexic learned to read from my grandma and started the petition because he used to read about Muhammad when he was known as Cassius Clay.

"When Muhammad got his licence back he sent my dad a letter and he got to meet him in Royal Lancaster Hotel in London."

Paddy's petition had deeply impressed his American idol, and their friendship blossomed from there.

He was in the Ali corner during the bout with Al "Blue" Lewis in Dublin in 1972 and for Ali's second titanic battle with Frazier at Madison Square Garden in 1974.

Tyrone recalled one visit from Ali which saw them spa in the family's back garden as a 16-year-old in 1983, while Oxford Mail photographers snapped away.

"I have three daughters, Meghan, Ella and Kerry-Ann. Besides them being born, sparring with Muhammad was the best day of my life," the filmmaker said.

"He walked in and jokingly bit his bottom lip like he did and said 'Tyrone, I'm gonna whoop your ass'.

"Even though by that time Muhammad was a lot slower, I still couldn't see his jabs and I was fighting heavyweights when I was a welterweight.

"He was absolutely amazing."

Although crowds flocked to their home when Ali arrived, one some occasions no one knew The Champ was in town.

Tyrone said: "Because we grew up with it we were just used to it. It was no big deal.

"I realise now I'm 50 how fortunate we were."

Tyrone is now working on a script about his father's life which the hopes to include the story about his bare knuckle boxing days - which were kept a secret due to it being illegal.

Before Ali's death, Paddy kept in touch by email and Tyrone told of how he spoke to Ali's wife Yolanda about the prizefighter's deteriorating health over the past few weeks.

Thousands of The Champ's friends and family are expected to turn out to the funeral today in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.

Former President Bill Clinton, actor and comedian Billy Crystal and American TV broadcaster Bryant Gumbel are among those scheduled to give eulogies.

His body will travel along the street named for him, Muhammad Ali Boulevard, and past his boyhood home before heading to Cave Hill Cemetery.

No plans have yet been announced to name a street in Abingdon after the town's most famous visitor.