A nursery rhyme in Sweden: how 'One Man Went to Mow' was born

It has nothing to do with football, no swearing, and doesn't even mention the club until the very end. It's a children's song about some people going to mow a meadow. And yet, when Stamford Bridge reaches "ten men went to mow", the whole ground stands up. How did that happen? The answer lies with a group of travelling fans in Sweden in the summer of 1981.

The tour

In August 1981 John Neal's Chelsea, then in the Second Division, went to Sweden for pre-season. Between 11 and 17 August they played four friendlies: Västerås, Flen, BK Forward in Örebro and Hofors. A band of loyal supporters went too — among them Mick Greenaway, the voice of the Shed, the man who for years started the terrace songs, "Zigger Zagger" most famously.

The tape

According to Garry Jones, a fan who was on that trip, Greenaway had brought a cassette of children's songs — others in the group remember it as a Wally Whyton recording. "One man went to mow" was on it. Whenever it played, the lads sang along for a laugh. It wasn't a football song; it was the running joke of the trip.

A few days after getting home, Chelsea played a friendly at Exeter (21 August 1981). The same fans sang it again there, still as a joke. From there it moved into the pubs around the ground, then onto the away terraces — and, according to Jones, by the end of the 1981/82 season it was being sung at home games too.

How it goes

The structure is the traditional nursery rhyme: "One man went to mow, went to mow a meadow…", adding one more mower each verse, with the shouts of "Meadow!" and "Spot!" for the dog. When the count reaches ten, the whole stand rises together — and it all ends with "Chelsea!".

Why it matters

"One Man Went to Mow" might be the best example of how terrace culture is really made: not in a marketing office, but from a joke among friends on a trip. Mick Greenaway died in 1999, but every time the Bridge rises for "ten men", his tape is still playing.

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A note on the details: The cassette story rests on the accounts of fans who were on the trip, not on official club records; the tour dates and the Exeter friendly are confirmed by a match archive.

Sources and credit: This story comes from Rick Glanvill, The Chelsea FC Miscellany (The History Press, 2012), paraphrased in our own words. Independently checked against: Vital Football – Chelsea Legends: Micky Greenaway (Garry Jones's account), Chelsea FC friendlies archive 1981–90 (Sweden tour and Exeter friendly), The Shed / Chelsea FC – Songs (lyrics), The Shed End forum – One man went to mow (fan account of the Wally Whyton tape).