We’ve slashed the odds from 20/1 into 5/1 that a National Public Holiday is announced should England win the tournament, following calls from Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and football fans alike.
And, it is now odds-on at 1/2 that Baddiel & Skinner and The Lightning Seeds’ Three Lions’ is Number One in the UK for July 2018 following 450,000 plays for the song on Tuesday alone.
With World Cup hysteria sweeping the country, England have overtaken Brazil as the most popular selection of the tournament, with bookies set to lose millions should Gareth Southgate’s side do the impossible.
As large as 20/1 at Christmas, or 14/1 at the start of June, they are now 9/2 to lift the Cup. In terms of actual bets placed, over 30% and counting of all World Cup outright bets are on England.
With King Kane now the 2/7 favourite for the Golden Boot, many punters backed the Kane/England double before the tournament at a whopping 66/1 – a number the English are very much familiar with – that price is now as low as 5/1.
He is also the 8/13 fav for BBC Sports Personality of The Year, a price which will surely tumble further should football come home on Sunday 15th.
Spokesman Paddy Power said: “Show me someone in England who says they wouldn’t take an extra Bank Holiday and I’ll show you a liar. Plus, I reckon the country will need at least a day to dry out from the beer should they win it.
“The sun is shining, Three Lions is headed for Number One and we’re going to get stung for millions if Southgate lifts the trophy. It’s not hard to see why you English folk are getting carried away.”
IT’S COMING HOME SPECIALS
1/2 Three Lions to be UK Number One in the Singles Chart for July 2018
8/15 Any English football player to win the BBC SPOTY
4/7 A Homecoming parade to be held in London in July 2018
5/1 A national day of holiday to be declared in July 2018 due to England’s World Cup performance
5/1 Southgate to be knighted before December 2019
10/1 Kane to be knighted before December 2019
WORLD CUP OUTRIGHT ODDS
11/4 Brazil
7/2 France
9/2 England
13/2 Belgium
13/2 Croatia
14/1 Uruguay
20/1 Russia
25/1 Sweden