Boxing fans were amazed in 1992 when legend Muhammad Ali turned up at Blackwell’s in Oxford.
The 1990s were also the decade when Oxford United enjoyed promotion success. Here we look back at some photos from across the 1990s.
One of the most memorable events of the early 1990s was the visit of boxing legend Muhammad Ali to the bookshop in Broad Street.
And the meeting with fans was recalled by Michael Tanner from Lincolnshire who shared his memories - and a photo - in his letter to the Oxford Mail.
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He said in 2016: "The date is June 4, 1992, the scene, an overcrowded Blackwell’s bookshop in Oxford in sweltering midday heat.
"We have been standing for two hours, swapping tales.
"Having driven more than 100 miles to pay homage, I wonder if the moment will ever arrive.
"Without fanfare, a white car pulls up. The object of our idolatry, Muhammad Ali, is here.
"Tourists abandon the Sheldonian and dash across the Broad to applaud the figure in blue suit, crisp white shirt and colourful silk tie who climbs from the back of the Rover 827. The Champ, The King, The Greatest has arrived.
"He enters the shop with unsteady gait. Parkinson’s and the exertion of a five-city book-signing tour have seen to that. But no-one minds.
"Pandemonium ensues. The TV arc lights and microphones crane overhead, photographers unfold stools and clamber on to them for a better vantage point. Pop! Pop! “This way, Champ! This way!”
"The Champ sits at a desk laden with copies of his authorised biography. Soon it is my turn. What do you say to your lifelong hero? Can’t be tongue-tied – might never get another chance.
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"He extends his hand. It feels more like shaking hands with a velvet-gloved potentate. How could a fist this dainty have bludgeoned Henry Cooper’s eye to mush?
"I deliver the words I have crafted. “I’ve waited 30 years to meet you, Champ.” “Thirty years, eh?” he replies. “You must be pretty old!”
"Yes,” I say ad-libbing, “but, unlike you, I ain’t pretty no more!’ Smiling, he says: “You’re not as dumb as you look!”
"Thirty seconds’ verbal sparring with The Man had left a light glowing in my soul. Outside, I glanced at the hand that had shaken his. It still trembled.
"A photograph capturing that handshake was mailed to the United States for a signature, with a $10 bill for return postage. Back it came, bearing not just a signature but a personal dedication.
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"The envelope also delivered a suitably inscribed portrait of Muhammad Ali in his prime. Keeping the photographs company was the $10 bill."
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About the author
Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here.
He joined the team more than 20 years ago and he covers community news across Oxfordshire.
His Trade and Tourism newsletter is released every Saturday morning.
You can also read his weekly Traffic and Transport newsletter.
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