I've just got back (two weeks ago) from a place no other Journalist or Writer has ever been granted access - the Belgian Team Fury training camp. The reason I'd been accorded the honour is that I am writing a book on the Fury family as a whole and, as part of my ongoing research, I needed to rack up lots of hours of interviews with the main protagonists. Here, on the very edge of the border of Holland and Belgium, in a beautiful pine forest, I could catch most of the family in one place and at one time, at least for a week.
It had been a horrible journey over, no sleep, stag parties rampaging around the ferry, over-priced crap food, and to cap it off, the North Sea wasn't playing the game and had decided to blow up a force 7 all the way over. It was a miracle that I'd got to the ferry at all as I live in the Peak District in Derbyshire and had beaten the snow out of the UK by a matter of hours, even trudging down the hill to the train station meant wading through a couple of foot of the white stuff while keeping my fingers crossed the 6.30am train was still going to depart. In all, not good preparation for meeting a family of tough, hardened fighting men, and getting right up their noses asking banal questions.
As I sat in the Dutch ferry port waiting for my lift to northern Belgium I collected my thoughts and expected someone anonymous from the camp to pick me up. You can imagine my surprise when a nice car pulled up and out stepped Peter Fury, beaming a welcoming smile. I got my luggage into the boot and opened the door to get into the back. "You'll know this guy I guess?" laughed Peter, pointing to the drivers seat. It was Tyson himself.
the back. "You'll know this guy I guess?" laughed Peter, pointing to the drivers seat. It was Tyson himself.
We drove into the nearby town looking for a restaurant so we could sit and talk properly. Parking up, we all got out of the car and it's only at this point I realised how big Tyson is. I mean, I'm 5ft 10 - OK, so I'm only a little guy - but Tyson is a giant of a man. He looks every inch of the 6ft 9inches that he is. It's alarming at first, until, that is, Tyson opens his mouth. For the record here, he's completely unlike anything any of you have seen or heard from the man. The loudmouth, brash, unthinking, couldn't care-less boxer is gone. In it's place is a considerate, thoughtful, intelligent man, who is obviously interested in the world and all it's wonders. His voice is calm, soft, and his language is considered. In short, it's a huge surprise! He asked me lots of questions about my background, my family, and I was un-nerved to find one of the first things he asked me was "So, what do you think of David Price?". What could I say to that?!