On a Sunday afternoon in late March of 1966, a few months before England was to win its first World Cup, the World Cup trophy was stolen.
It had been on display for the public at a rare stamps exhibition in Westminster in London and, rather than stealing some rare stamps that were valued to be worth 3 million pounds, the thief elected to swipe the Jules Rimet Trophy, the golden trophy given to the winner of the World Cup.
By the next morning, England was the laughingstock of the entire world. The World Cup trophy had been nicked, and nobody knew how. The security guards were incredulous as to how the cup had been stolen, and now, barring the return of the trophy, there was to be a full-blown investigation.
With little to go on, London detectives chased their only lead. A suspicious-looking man with greasy black hair had been seen leaving the hall. But not long after it was stolen, the chairman of Chelsea F.C. and the Football Association (FA), Joe Mears, received a ransom note from a man named “Jackson” asking for 15,000 pounds in exchange for the silver-gilt trophy. This “Jackson” also asked that Mr. Mears not involve the police and that the negotiations stay between himself and Mr. Mears.
However, Joe Mears did report the ransom note to the police. The next day, Joe Mears, a briefcase full of fake money in tow, met the man responsible for stealing the World Cup, only to have the police arrest him promptly on site. Jackson turned out to be a man named Edward Betchley, who swore profusely that he was merely a go-between, and that the culprit the authorities really wanted was an underground figure named “The Pole.” Despite his pleas, Mr. Betchley was later convicted of the crime and sentenced to two years in prison. “The Pole”, if he did indeed exist, was never found.
Scotland Yard, all of London, and the rest of the world still had the big question looming over them: where was the trophy? Afraid it was a hopeless case, the FA even had a duplicate trophy secretly made.
Nearly a week later, David Corbett and his faithful canine companion, Pickles, were taking a walk in Beulah Hill, South London. Pickles, a black and white collie, seemed more determined to follow his nose than usual, and on this day, David Corbett felt the need to oblige him. The clever collie stopped at what appeared to be a package wrapped with newspaper.
Upon unwrapping the newspaper, Mr. Corbett found that the package was indeed the Jules Rimet Trophy.
Fame and fortune ensued for Pickles and David Corbett. They were awarded a 5,000 pound prize, and Pickles was awarded the silver metal of the National Canine Defence League. Additionally, Pickles was named “Dog of the Year,” appeared in a few television programs, and even appeared in the movie The Spy with a Cold Nose.
Pickles will always be remembered by the world – and especially the people of England – as the dog that won the World Cup. Move over, Air Bud, Pickles is the true canine sports hero.
