HE called himself The Greatest and, as far as Witney Gazette readers are concerned, he remains just that.

Muhammad Ali, known earlier in a glittering boxing career as Cassius Clay and the Louisville Lip, is the overwhelming choice of readers of this column as the sporting superstar of the century.

Ali, who now suffers from the effects of Parkinson's Disease, has been chosen the most beguiling, most famous and most talented sports star in just about every poll conducted nationally and internationally, and he recently won the award for the BBC Sports Personality of the Century.

Like voters in that poll, there was an overwhelming support for Ali from Gazette readers. The votes cast for him were double the number cast for the remaining dozen or so names.

Runner-up is Brazilian star Pele, a winner of three World Cup competitions and a footballer who won a universal acclaim that has never been surpassed.

Two other footballers made the list - George Best and Bobby Moore, while cricketers Sir Don Bradman and Ian Botham also figured.

Athletics names projected were Jesse Owens, Daley Thomson and Sebastan Coe, while tennis included Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg and Martina Navratilova - the only woman in the list.

Here, then, are the Top Ten sports superstars of the century, as voted by you, the Witney Gazette readers:

1 Muhammad Ali

2 Pele

3 Jack Nicklaus

4 Sir Don Bradman

5 George Best

6 Rod Laver

7 Jesse Owens

8 Martina Navratilova

9 Daley Thomson

10 Bobby Moore

Story date: Wednesday 29 December

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.