AS BOXING legend Muhammad Ali’s 70th birthday celebrations continue this week Oxfordshire residents have been reminiscing about his visits to an Abingdon council estate.

Ali visited bare-knuckle boxing champion Paddy Monaghan more than 20 times at his Saxton Road home after the pair became close pals in the 1960s.

The former heavyweight world champion, who turned 70 on Tuesday, shook hands and signed autographs for the estate’s youngsters who turned out to see him.

Mr Monaghan, 67, who moved to Sutton Courtenay last year after 12 years in Ireland, said he had received hundreds of emails with birthday wishes for Ali.

He said no-one could believe it when the boxing legend turned up in Abingdon, adding: “Back in those days they were probably pinching themselves. But the two of us are just friends and that’s all there is to it.”

Mr Monaghan and Ali became friends in 1967 when he started a campaign to get Ali’s fighting licence reinstated after he refused to serve in Vietnam.

Irish-born Mr Monaghan, who claimed to be undefeated in 114 bare-knuckle fights, even stayed at Ali’s mansion in Philadelphia.

He last saw Ali two years ago.

Donald Southey, president of Abingdon Town Amateur Boxing Club, lived next door to Mr Monaghan and once chatted to Ali for an hour.

He said: “When the kids knew he was coming, the whole street was alive. And it erupted when he got there. All the kids were trying to shake his hand.

“And all the kids enjoyed it – especially it being a rundown area like Saxton Road.

“It was an honour to have him come. He was a real nice man. He was not the sort of person who became famous and ignored you – he wanted to talk to you.”

He added: “He maybe 70 but he is still the champion. There will never be a man like him.”

Mr Southey’s sister Kim Southey, 51, of Comfrey Court in Abingdon, added: “It was great. When you are that age it is great to see a great person, someone who has done such a lot in their life.”

Bridget Rhoades-Brown was 11 when Ali first came to Saxton Road. She was 19 when she saw him spar with Paddy’s 16-year-old son Tyrone in August 1983.

The 48-year-old, of Halse Water in Didcot, said it was an honour the boxing hero came to the street so many times.

She added: “At the time I didn’t realise how big a deal it was. He was just friends with Paddy who lived across the road from us.”

bwilkinson@oxfordmail.co.uk