Product Description

It's July 2006, the World Cup has just finished in dismal penalty shootout failure for England and back to back Premiership champions Chelsea FC are preparing for the new season with a squad bolstered by the high profile signings of Michael Ballack and Andriy Shevchenko. Surfing on a wave of optimism, buoyed by the outspoken confidence of manager Jose Mourinho, Marco and the rest of the Gate 17 boys return to Stamford Bridge in expectant mood, high on hope and talking about the Blues winning an unprecedented quadruple of trophies."One Man Went To Mow", the eagerly anticipated follow up to Mark Worrall's cult terrace classic, "Over Land and Sea", chronicles the ongoing adventures of a colourful group of Chelsea supporters as they follow their teams quest for glory. In true gloriously unpredictable fashion, the season unravels against a backdrop of injuries, boardroom disquiet and growing media speculation about the future of the Special One, Mr Mourinho.Having retraced his Gate 17 roots, Marco sets out to explain the mythical concept of 'Being Chels', the peerless state of true blue mind that followers of Chelsea's rivals struggle to come to terms with. Drawing his conclusions from impromptu encounters with Blues fanatics he meets en-route, including club owner, Mr Abramovich, Marco is left in no doubt that Chelsea Football Club is an association, a fellowship of mankind founded on the commonly shared belief that what goes around comes around and that when it comes around you should make the most of it because it might not come around again for years. From Sofia to Barcelona, Bremen to Porto, Valencia to Liverpool and Stamford Bridge to Wembley, "One Man Went To Mow", is a uniquely entertaining, vibrant and fascinating fly on the wall travelogue of one fans near religious quest for footballing redemption.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #232987 in Books
• Published on: 2008-01-15
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Customer Reviews

brilliant follow up, a superb true Blue read!!
I've been waiting for One Man Went to Mow to finally get published and I got my copy yesterday afternoon. Just finished reading it in two sittings, brilliant! If you've read Over Land and Sea, Mark's account of following Chelsea in Europe in the first Abramovich season, you'll know what to expect here as this is the follow up. Following the same format, but this time with many more photographs to illustrate the superb prose, One Man Went to Mow is the story of Mourinho's last full season at the Bridge and again is told from the perspective of attending the away games in Europe. As an extra bonus you get a quality insight into how the Gate 17 boys met back in the early 80s, check out the clobber and the haircuts in those early snaps. The way Mark writes about Peter Osgood, whose memorial service he attended, brought tears to my eyes. It's hardback, and hardback money, but trust me you won't be disappointed.

BLUE FOR YOU FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR ARMCHAIR
If I had the money I'd follow Chelsea over land and sea, and Leicester as well for that matter. Thing is I don't, but I have enough cash to buy Mark Worrall's books about following Chelsea in Europe, and that's good enough for me. One Man Went to Mow picks up where Over Land and Sea left off. All the usual suspects are here and a few new ones besides. You feel like your at the games and the humour is second to none. Another installment in another couple of years please Mark.

Excellent follow up to Over Land and Sea
Another great piece of Chelsea football writing from the master of his craft. Great photos too.