The year ahead: A better bet for 1998
It's a mad, mad, mad, mad world if William Hill's current list of wacky bets is any indication of the state of the nation. Among the (un)likely events anticipated over the next 12 months: Melinda Messenger becoming a nun (66-1, below) and the Teletubbies recording England's official World Cup song (250-1). So if you have a hunch that Prince William will wed one of the Spice Girls, why not put your money where your mouth is. It's odds-on that the bookies will be only too happy to take your cash
BEST OF THE REST
3/1 Grant or Phil from EastEnders to wear wig/toupee
3/1 William Hague to become a father
3/1 Any Spice Girl to have a baby
4/1 Richard Branson to be knighted
8/1 Any Spice Girl to have a solo number one single
10/1 Spice Girls to have 1998 Christmas number one single
10/1 Oasis to record official FA-endorsed England World Cup song
16/1 Chris Evans to have number one single
20/1 Coronation Street butcher, Fred Elliott to become a vegetarian
25/1 Fergie to remarry
33/1 Coronation Street or EastEnders to become daily soap
33/1 Rovers Return to change its name
50/1 Chris Evans to marry Zoe Ball
50/1 Cannabis to be legalised for recreational use
66/1 Nasa to confirm existence of intelligent extra-terrestrial life
100/1 Vinnie Jones to become MP
100/1 Thames to freeze over between Westminster and Tower bridges
500/1 Loch Ness monster to be proved to exist
500/1 Spiceworld to win Best Film Oscar
500/1 Dick Francis to win Booker Prize
IT COULD BE THEIR YEAR
A punter from Staines, Middlesex has bet pounds 10 at 1000-1 that "God Save the Queen" will cease to be the National Anthem on or before 1 Jan 2000
An Essex man has staked pounds 10 at 5000-1 that a human brain transplant will take place during 1998
Roy Burdett of Leeds will win pounds 10,000 for a pounds 100 bet at odds of 100/1 if President Clinton confirms that no US astronaut has ever set foot on the moon and that all previous landings were hoaxes
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