11th March 2007: Anthony Phythian runs onto the Ewood Park pitch in a white boiler suit. His side, Manchester City, are losing to Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup quarter-final. Phythian is trying in vain to get the match abandoned when he runs, fists pumping, across the field in his unusual garb. He gets arrested and receives a banning order. City get knocked out of the FA Cup after a 2-0 defeat.
20th August 2022: Anthony Phythian is a 39-year-old professional boxer. He weighs seven stone less than he did when he ran across a football pitch in Blackburn. His fists are still pumping, but this time they’re heading in the direction of Ben Thomas. This is a professional boxing match and it’s one that Phythian will go on to win. Meanwhile, Manchester City are the reigning Premier League champions.
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A lot has changed in the life of Anthony Phythian. The reformed football hardman does his fighting in the squared circle now while his team don’t spend much time at Ewood Park any more. Instead, they win Premier League titles for fun. Phythian is seeking titles too as a 3-1 professional boxer at an age where most fighters are hanging up their gloves. But, as you’ll find out, Phythian is not most fighters. For a start, many of the Mancunian’s toughest battles took place not in a ring or even on a Maine Road terrace. The fact the man they call ‘Fearless’ is still here is a miracle. The fact he is thriving is inspirational. This is his story in his own words.
How did you come to be part of the terrace culture at Manchester City?
Where I grew up in Miles Platting in Manchester it was mainly a red area. When I was younger I didn’t live with my Mum and my Dad, they split up. Due to certain circumstances I got adopted by my Nan, so I was always going to be a little bit different. I’ve been a City fan in a red area, which has always been a bit difficult. I suppose I was looking for somewhere to fit in.
I started going to Maine Road from the age of seven. The terrace culture was quite big then and I saw somewhere where I fit in. I’d seen how people looked up to these lads that were into football violence. People looked at them as if they were in awe and I was no different. They got respected, they got looked at as if they were something special. I just followed suit and things went on from there. I started following Man City home and away.
What has it been like to witness the changing fortunes of Manchester City?
It’s been unreal to be honest. Watching us play third tier football, that’s what I was used to. That was City for me growing up, we were down and out as a club. I remember before we got relegated out of the Premier League there was always that dream of an FA Cup or even a League Cup. Then to see us come back into the Premier League, I think we would have been happy being a mid-table club. We’d always say, “I think we have an FA Cup in us or a League Cup”. I just wanted to see City win a trophy before I passed away. To see the transition, I still have to figure this out now. We’ve started winning trophies every season!
How did the infamous boiler suit incident come about?
At that time I was always doing crazy things. I look back now and I think I was a massive attention seeker. I wanted to stand out and do the craziest things. So one day I just decided I was going to the match in a boiler suit. It was a quarter final, things weren’t going our way. So I decided to get on the pitch and try and get the match abandoned.
Your life went into something of a downward spiral after that? Can you tell me about what you went through?
It was always a tough relationship with my Mum because we didn’t really have that bond. I’d been living with my Nan from (the age of) two. There was a relationship and it was just difficult to watch her pass away. There were things that were never explained, things that were never said.
She was an alcoholic, my Mum, and alcoholism ran in the family. I went the same way with drink and drugs. Using it to mask the pain. Obviously having that addictive personality, it spiraled out of control. Over a ten year period I was on and off. Then when my Nanna passed away it felt like I had nobody there, that I was completely alone. Within a short period of time I lost my job, lost my Nanna, (I was) homeless. I just felt like everything had crumbled around me. There was no way out, just drinking heavily and taking drugs every day.
What kept you going through such a dark time in your life?
The main thing that kept me going was my three children. I wasn’t having the relationship that I should have. I believe when you’re rock bottom that should be a turning point for anybody. Most success stories you see will come from when people are rock bottom. I think there’s something inside us that just switches. I call it sink or swim, fight or flight. Something just ignites when you get that low and you just have to start fighting back.
I was having suicidal thoughts, I wasn’t able to get up and get through the day. I managed to drag myself to AA and CA to seek help. A good friend of mine, a family up in Ashton, they managed to find me a house to rent and I ended up working for them. So things went on from there. Over the years I’d boxed, doing White Collars and unlicensed boxing. I decided to get back into that to channel my depression and alcoholism. I started running again, started going to the gym. Things went from good to better. My children were back in my life, I was working, training, I had my house.
Your physical transformation has been incredible. How did you manage to prepare your body for the life of an athlete?
At my heaviest I was 19 stone. From my late teens to my early 20s I was always about 17 stone. The heaviest I ballooned up to was 19 stone. I was really out of shape.
As soon as I started training properly and eating healthily I lost a lot of weight fairly quickly. I was losing a couple of stone a year. Within two years I went down to 16 stone then to 14 and I was fit and healthy. Then I had a nutritionist who helped me and made a few tweaks in my diet. I think the lowest I got to was 12 stone for my first fight. I managed to shift seven stone all in all.
What made you decide to turn professional?
When I started taking my training seriously (I realised) if I’m fit I could actually be alright. There were a couple of lads I’d boxed on the circuit who turned over to professionals as journeymen. I watched them on the telly and I thought to myself, if I put the work in and give it a good go there’s no reason I can’t do this.
Considering you were coming to boxing relatively late in life, did anyone try and warn you not to pursue it?
Pretty much everyone I spoke to said it was a bit of a pipe dream. “You’ve not no chance”. I even got knocked back from the (British Boxing) Board (of Control) when I was 35. People said “You’ve been through a lot in your life, you’ve not looked after yourself”. But it was just festering, I had to go through with it.
They knocked me back which was a blow. My first reaction was “the dream is over”. But I spoke to a few people and decided it wasn’t about my past, it wasn’t about my age, it was about my experience. So I went to Levenshulme Boxing Club where I knew the trainer and decided to get carded. I decided to go into the amateur game at 35 or I might have been 36 at that time.
How did you find the transition from amateur boxing to the professional ranks?
It’s been different. I’m always changing. I’d done unlicensed and White Collars, then I had to change to the amateur game. It’s hard, especially at that age, that fast speed. You come out faster, you’re on your toes. So it was hard adapting to that. It was sort of a relief when I went to the pros because I can start off slow and get into the fight.
You lost your first professional bout to Ryan Hibbert via first-round knockout. Did you ever consider quitting at that point?
The first thought that came to me was “I’m out of my depth here”. But that quickly subsided after a day or two when I came round. It’s that thing again from being rock bottom, that itch. You can’t go out on that, you’ve got to come back and keep fighting. Whether it’s in the ring or outside the ring.
You bounced back and have won all three of your fights since. Do you have any particular highlights or favourite moments?
They’ve all been great learning experiences. Even being in the changing rooms with Anthony Crolla and Joe Gallagher, Kieran Farrell my trainer. Being in the gym with the likes of Kieran’s brother Nathan, who’s a great talent. I’m still star struck by it all, it’s all a bit crazy.
Hosea Burton was there the other week, he’s been British champion. Sometimes I pinch myself thinking “Is it real?”. Even on my debut, as disappointing as it was, to come out to the ring in front of over 1000 people. With 200 people chanting your name in an arena as a professional boxer, that’s something I never dreamed would have happened five years ago.
Are there any boxers who have inspired you or who you’ve tried to emulate?
Being a Manchester lad I’ve always followed the local fighters like Ricky Hatton, who I think everyone in Manchester loves. Mike Brodie was a legend from just up the road from where I grew up. Anthony Farnell was up the road. Michael Gomez is another one, Terry Flanagan, Anthony Crolla. They’re all in the same postcode of where I grew up. If I can just take a little bit from everyone. Obviously Tyson Fury with his comeback where he ballooned up, lost his weight then came back to win a world title. I’ve got to take a little bit from that as well.
What are your goals for this journey? Is there anything in particular you are looking to achieve in the ring?
There are goals and they change all the time. The goal two years ago was just to have one professional fight and I’ve done it. Then it was to win a fight and now I’ve won three. I’m aiming for an Area title fight. If I could fight for the Area title that would be my world title. You want to progress and you want to push on. The more I achieve the more I think I can achieve. But if it was all to end now I’d have to look back and say it’s been a success from where I was five years ago.
Have you decided how long you want to box for or is it open-ended at this point?
At the minute I’m just taking it fight by fight because my body has already taken a beating from myself. I beat my body down for years. I don’t want to put myself in danger and I’ll take advice when it comes. But at the moment I’m feeling good, I still believe there’s a lot more in me. I’m hoping to up my rounds now to six and maybe eight. I still believe I’ve got another year in me at least.
Your story is one of tremendous resilience. What advice would you give to people who might be suffering in similar situations to what you have been through?
I think it’s in everybody. We have to get to that point where something lights up inside us. It’s getting pushed to the point where our backs are against the wall. You realise that if you put your mind to it then you can do it. The first lesson I learned was when I managed to stop drinking and taking drugs. I thought if I can do this after all these years, my relatives get hooked on drugs, my Mum’s died of it. If I can do this then I can do anything.
People feel like they can’t open up and they have no one to turn to and they end up taking their own lives. Hopefully you can look at my story and realise you never know what’s around that corner. Just keep living to fight another day.
If you could go back and speak to your younger self, what would you tell him?
Without the difficult times I wouldn’t be the person that I am. As much advice as you can give someone, I believe they’ve got to live their own life and make their own mistakes. If I could I’d say to seek help a lot sooner than I did. Things could have been a lot different if I managed to stay out of trouble and put the drink down a lot sooner. But I believe people need to make their own mistakes. People used to advise me when I was younger and I didn’t take it on board and I do the same now to my lad. I hope he’s taking it on board but sometimes I say “You’ve got to make your own mistakes and live your own life, son.”
Anthony Phythian’s next fight is presented by Vicious Promotions on Friday 11th November at Blackpool Pleasure Beach
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