Pickles: The Dog Who Saved The World Cup

You probably know that England hosted and won the World Cup back in 1966. But if it wasn't for Pickles, there may not have been a cup to win at all...

Pickles: The Dog Who Saved The World Cup
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Pickles: The Dog Who Saved The World Cup

In 1966, four months before the start of the FIFA World Cup tournament, the cup itself - the Jules Rimet trophy - was stolen by London gangsters Sidney and Reg Cugullere.

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The brothers demanded a ransom of £15,000 for the return of the cup. Police tried to negotiate, arranging a meeting with a mediator in which they took along a briefcase full of fake cash. The negotiation went wrong, however, and they remained none the wiser as to the location of the cup.

One week later, Pickles, a four-year-old black and white collie, was walking with his owner David Corbett through South London. Pickles became very interested in a mysterious object wrapped in newspaper by a garden hedge in Upper Norwood.

David was wary - the IRA were active at this time and he was afraid the object might be a bomb. However, he unwrapped the parcel and discovered that it was in fact the Jules Rimet trophy!

At first, David was considered a potential suspect and was submitted to questioning by Scotland Yard. However, once it transpired that David really was innocent, he received a £5,000 reward. As for Pickles, he was awarded a silver medal by the National Canine Defence League.

Nice job Pickles!

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