Some of the most fulsome tributes to late boxing legend Muhammad Ali have come from the world of soccer, with David Beckham, Pele and Didier Drogba all posting messages praising the heavyweight champion.
But the feeling was not mutual. Even though Ali loved London, he loathed football.
Heat Street can reveal that when in 1966 Ali attended the World Cup Final – the beautiful game’s most spectacular showcase – he slept throughout England’s 4-2 win over West Germany, one of the most epic duels in the annals of football.
Muhammad Ali at Wembley, watching the crowds during the 1966 World Cup final. #RIPAli pic.twitter.com/8UZIUJXkDc
— The Antique Football (@AntiqueFootball) June 4, 2016
Having just landed in London, Ali ventured to the World Cup Final at Wembley Stadium to promote his world heavyweight title fight against Brian London, which was happening the next week at Earls Court Arena.
Norman Giller, who worked as an English-based publicist for Ali, sent us an extract from his new book July 30 1966 Football’s Longest Day published later this week.
Giller writes that Ali “had gone almost unnoticed to his seat immediately alongside the press box. He was with his brother Rudolph Clay…something I learned when later working as a publicist for Ali fights in Europe was that no matter where he was in the world he kept his watch on American time. He ate and slept according to the demands of his US body clock. This explains why he slumbered through most of the final at Wembley.”
“‘I would have been happy to miss the match,’ Ali confided to me years later. ‘I only went ’cos promoter Jack Solomons told me tickets were going slow for my defence against Brian London the next week. We needed the publicity.
Sport has lost a true great. Rest in peace, Muhammad Ali. Our thoughts are with his family and friends. pic.twitter.com/cNxvsNpA3j
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) June 4, 2016
