Two four six eight, bog in, don’t wait.
Two four six eight was also the prefix to a chant at sports gatherings:
Two four six eight, who do we appreciate?
The winner’s name would then be chanted.
Another chant in that ilk was to spell the sports person’s name:
Give us an S
Give us an M
Give us an I
Give us a T
Give us an H
What have you got?
SMITH! SMITH! SMITH!
Of course that chant doesn’t work if the name is Barakat-Bentinckstokes.
My favourite chant (apart from Let’s go Brandon) requires a bit of explaining:
The High School I went to (and also taught at for a decade) was situated in the countryside. It was a large all-boys boarding school catering mainly at the time to sons of farmers throughout the country. Hence the school itself was attached to a farm. The biggest (and oldest) annual athletics occasion was called the McEvedy Shield. Four major all-boys schools met to compete in some large stadium. The entire roll of each school would attend. Chants and hakas abounded. A haka is a traditional Maori challenge and each school in New Zealand has its own. The video shows two opposing high school teams challenging each other before a rugby match.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBRDKF64XSU
At the McEvedy Shield around 2 o’clock the three opposing schools would unite and begin chanting to my school:
Go home! Milking time! Go home! Milking time!
I always found it very entertaining, and if anything it highlighted the positive camaraderie between the four competitive schools.
Perhaps you have a favourite chant?
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