Will Prince William shoot an advert for an anti-hairloss product

Dec 2007

Will 2008 be the year of a royal wedding, a glorious century for David Beckham and a Wham comeback?

Or could this perhaps be the year that Robbie Williams rejoins Take That, snow stops play at Wimbledon, Andy Murray wins a Grand Slam and Big Brother is axed?

Bookies are inviting punters to place their 2008 bets - whether canny or crazy.

And at 1,000-1, William Hill are offering odds that Prince William shoots an advert for an anti-hairloss product, that national service is reinstated - or that the Archbishop of Canterbury confirms the Second Coming.

Labour candidate Livingstone is 1-2 favourite to win the London mayor election, with Johnson 6-4, while Clinton is 4-6 to be voted US president.

The Queen is 50-1 to knight Ant and Dec - but just 16-1 to abdicate.

But hopes seem reasonably high for a royal wedding, with on-off couple Prince William and Kate Middleton 5-2 to become engaged, and either William or Harry 7-1 to marry.

In less exalted social circles, Liberal Democrat MP Lembit Opik is 5-1 to marry a Cheeky Girl - presumably his current lover Gabriela Irmia, rather than her sister Monica, though William Hill do not seem to specify.

Meanwhile Ladbrokes are offering 4/1 on the axing of troubled reality TV show Big Brother.

Other hopes of British success include scooping one of the top Oscar prizes (2-7), winning the Champions League (11-10) and an entirely dry Wimbledon fortnight (10-1).

Rather more improbably, if snow falls on Wimbledon during the June/July tennis tournament, then punters could scoop a 250-1 windfall.

Just as likely - or unlikely - according to the bookies are Prince Charles's chances of a Turner Prize nomination.

At least this seems more credible than conclusive proof of the Loch Ness monster, a 500-1 longshot.

And at 1,000-1, William Hill are offering odds that Prince William shoots an advert for an anti-hairloss product, that national service is reinstated - or that the Archbishop of Canterbury confirms the Second Coming.

Despite 2007 being a bit of a dire write-off for many of Britain's sporting hopes, the odds are defiantly optimistic for next year.

Joe Calzaghe and Ricky Hatton are both 1-2 to see out the year unbeaten, and tennis star Andy Murray is 7-1 to win his first Grand Slam. However Fabio Capello is just 5/1 at Ladbrokes to leave his job as England manager.

Early odds suggest it could be a good year for Beckham, British Oscar hopefuls, Hillary Clinton and Ken Livingstone.

Beckham is the shortest odds with William Hill to win his 100th England cap, at 1-7 - and 9-4 to be reappointed captain for the match.