What do you think of this fact?
England, March 1966. The World Cup is about to kick off on home soil in a few months, and suddenly the trophy is gone. It wasn’t the police who got it back. It was a dog named Pickles.
The trophy disappears
On March 20, 1966, the World Cup trophy, the Jules Rimet Trophy, was on display at a sports-themed stamp exhibition in London, held at Methodist Central Hall in Westminster. According to Sports Illustrated, it vanished in broad daylight while a church service was going on in the same building.
Soon after, a ransom demand for 15,000 pounds reached the chairman of the Football Association. Police set a trap and arrested a man. He didn’t even have the trophy.
One week later: a walk to remember
On March 27, 1966, David Corbett was out walking his four-year-old collie Pickles in Upper Norwood, South London. Pickles started sniffing at a package wrapped in newspaper. Corbett opened it and at first thought it might be a bomb. Then he recognized the engravings.
What he did next is legendary. He ran back inside and told his wife: “I think I’ve found the World Cup!”
Pickles got a year’s supply of dog food, was named “Dog of the Year” and even appeared in a movie, “The Spy with a Cold Nose”.
From family pet to national hero
Corbett received a 5,000 pound reward. Pickles got a silver medal from a British animal welfare league, went on TV, including the children’s show “Blue Peter”, and became famous around the world. His medals are now held by the National Football Museum in England.
And the World Cup? England won it in the summer of 1966, beating West Germany 4-2 in the final. According to Sports Illustrated, captain Bobby Moore even celebrated with Pickles afterwards.
So arguably the most important player of the tournament had four paws and never played a minute.