When people think of 1966, one thing immediately comes to mind: England winning the World Cup. Sixty years later, and with the World Cup of 2026 about to start, England will try again to add a second win and end “sixty years of hurt”.
But 1966 stands out for so many reasons.
Even today, football fans can recite the famous words of commentator Kenneth Wolstenholme as Geoff Hurst iced victory over West Germany.
“Some people are on the pitch… they think it’s all over… it is now!”
And it was. By four goals to two, England lifted the trophy, and little Nobby Styles, all five feet, six inches of him, went on a merry dance around the pitch with the trophy on his head.
It was a World Cup that gave people many lasting memories, including one that happened four months before England lifted the trophy.
That famous World Cup trophy was stolen.
And if it hadn’t been for an ordinary dog named Pickles, football history might have been very different.
The Biggest Football Tournament on Earth
The summer of 1966 was an exciting time in Britain. The swinging sixties were in full flow, with The Beatles at the height of their fame, and, for the first time, the World Cup was to be held in England.
In 1960, England had been chosen as the host nation for the 1966 tournament over rival bids from West Germany and Spain.
For the first time, football was coming home.
Hosting the tournament became a matter of national pride. Actually winning it in front of a national audience was something that dreams were made of. But before the football started, the famous Jules Rimet Trophy, awarded to the World Cup winners, was sent on a tour of the country as part of the build-up.
Then disaster struck.
The Day the World Cup Was Stolen
On 20 March 1966, the trophy was on display at Westminster Central Hall in London as part of a stamp exhibition. Security was arranged, but unlike today, when cameras and sensors can monitor 24/7, the trophy was not under constant surveillance. It was during a brief period when the guards were on patrol, or distracted, that thieves got inside the building and removed the trophy from its display case.
With the World Cup just a few months away, Britain faced international embarrassment. Newspapers carried the story on their front pages. It was big news. Contingency plans were put in place for a replacement trophy.
And then the thieves demanded a ransom.
Scotland Yard launched an investigation and gave the job to a police unit called ‘The Flying Squad’. Some might remember the 1970s TV drama series that portrayed a later version of the Flying Squad known as The Sweeney.
What followed was a comedy of errors that would have made a great police detective B-movie.
For days, the World Cup trophy appeared to have disappeared without trace. Eventually, a man by the name of Edward Betchley tried to collect the ransom, only to realise that he had fallen into a police trap. He managed to escape but was quickly caught and arrested. He claimed that he was a middleman and didn’t know where the trophy was. He also never gave up the names of anyone else.
The mastermind of the crime was still at large, and the trophy was still missing.
Enter Pickles
A week later, on the evening of 27 March, a South London resident named David Corbett was taking his dog Pickles for a walk. Pickles was a black-and-white collie who became interested in a suspicious package. When Corbett investigated, inside the package was the missing World Cup trophy.
But there appear to be two reported versions of where the package was found. The first suggested that it was hidden beneath a parked car just outside Corbett’s flat. Second, it was found under a hedge in Corbett’s garden.
It was probably the car.
“Pickles was running around over by my neighbour’s car,” explained Corbett. “As I was putting the lead on, I noticed this package laying there…”
He took it to the local police station and showed it to the desk sergeant.
“I think I have found the World Cup.” Corbett said, as he placed it on the desk.
The sergeant looked at it and replied, “Doesn’t look very World Cuppy to me, son.”
Eventually, a detective arrived, and Corbett was taken to Scotland Yard for questioning.
Corbett recalled. “It suddenly dawned on me that I was number one suspect.”
It was true, the police did briefly suspect Corbett, but he had an alibi and was released.
The greatest prize in world football had been discovered by a dog on an evening walk. Scotland Yard confirmed that it was genuine, and Britain breathed a collective sigh of relief.
The trophy was back.
The National Hero on Four Legs
Pickles became an overnight celebrity.
Newspapers carried his photograph. He appeared on television, attended public events and even received a reward for helping to recover the trophy. At a time when there were only three television channels and national newspapers were read by tens of millions every day, all of Britain heard the story.
Everyone knew Pickles the dog.
Pickles was no longer just a family pet. He had become a national hero. Soon after, he even appeared in a film with Eric Sykes called The Spy with a Cold Nose. And his owner received around £5000 in reward money, which back then was enough for him to buy a house in Surrey.
Corbett was also a prosecution witness at the trial of Betchley, who was found guilty and sent to prison for two years. He was the only one to be punished for stealing the World Cup.
At the time, whoever was behind it was never caught.
In 2018, journalist Tom Pettifor identified the thief as a London gangster by the name of Sidney Cugullere, helped by his brother Reg. It was reported that they had done it “for the thrill”, not the money. They were never arrested. By the time the story came out, both were long dead.
England’s Greatest Football Summer
With the trophy safely recovered, attention turned back to the football.
England, managed by Alf Ramsey and captained by Bobby Moore, progressed through the tournament with growing confidence. On 30 July 1966, 96,000 spectators packed Wembley Stadium to watch England face West Germany in the final.
After extra time and Geoff Hurst’s historic hat-trick, England had won 4–2. Bobby Moore climbed the Wembley steps to receive the Jules Rimet Trophy — the very same trophy that had been stolen just four months earlier.
The one that Pickles the dog had found under a car in South London.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1966_theft_of_the_Jules_Rimet_Trophy
https://www.history.co.uk/articles/pickles-the-dog-world-cup
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