A LEADING bookmaker has priced Billericay Town at overwhelming odds to win the Isthmian Premier League next season – with manager Glenn Tamplin admitting he was ‘flabbergasted’ on hearing the odds.

William Hill has priced big-spending Town at 1/10 to lift the league title next season.

Dulwich Hamlet and Margate are second favourites according to the bookmaker, with odds of 6/1 and 20/1 respectively.

And a spokesman for William Hill admitted the odds of Billericay were extremely short.

“It is the same price as the Conservatives were on the morning of the General Election,” he said.

“To put it into perspective, it is also a similar price as Rangers to win the league following their relegation to the Scottish Third Division.

“I can’t think of another team being priced to win the league at such low odds at this stage.

“The reality in betting terms is there is an 88 per cent chance of it happening, by these odds.

“That said, you have to be fair. For every one of these, you have a Leicester City (to win the Premier League) or a Donald Trump (to win the US Presidential Election) so stranger things can happen.

“If you go to your bank and put £10 in you may accrue 10p over a year. If you put £10 on this it will get you £1 back, assuming it comes off, so you still make a 10 per cent return on your money in a year.

“But it is not a working man’s price.”

Tamplin has been a very vocal advocate of Billericay’s chances of winning the title, promising success on a number of occasions after investing heavily in the club.

But even he was taken aback by the odds.

“I thought it was staggering,” he said.

“I thought we would have been at around 1/3 favourites but I was flabbergasted at 1/10. I haven’t heard of it before.

“Dulwich are a very good side and Margate are buying some very good players too so you can’t write them off.

“They are capable teams and I think Leiston are a good side too and will give it a good go. There is plenty of talent.”

The Echo contacted a number of other leading bookmakers, including Paddy Power, Skybet and Coral, although none were willing to offer odds at this time.

In March, Ladbrokes were offering odds of 10/1 for Billericay to be playing in the Football League by the start of the 2022/23 campaign.

They were also offering odds of 1,000/1 for Billericay to be playing in Premier League by the beginning of the 2028/29 season or to win the FA Cup in the next 10 years.