Did You Know… life in 1960s Britain: The Year England Won the World Cup, With Thanks to Pickles the Dog

 

In Britain, when people think of 1966, one thing immediately comes to mind (especially if you are English): 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.

Did You Know… Life in 1960s/70s Britain: The Big Match Day - When Saturday Meant Football

  

This Sunday marks the end of the football season across Britain for 2026. Both the FA Cup and Premier League have been decided, but competition for promotion and relegation for some teams will be going down to the wire. By Sunday night, some will be celebrating, while others will have to wait until next year.

All of these games will be played on a Sunday.

For football fans growing up in Britain during the 1960s and 70s, there was one thing you could rely on every week: Saturday was the day when football was played.

There were no Friday night games or Sunday afternoon games with a start time around midday, or four in the afternoon. And the only Monday Night Football was a game played across the pond in the USA that was often referred to as ‘American football’, just in case we got it mixed up with what they called soccer.

Games for British teams in European competitions were played midweek, but domestic football? No, Saturday was sacred.

And outside the World Cup, the only game that was ever broadcast live on television was the FA Cup Final. Football wasn’t timed to suit global television audiences. 

In the absence of football being broadcast live, all we had was the BBC’s Match of the Day highlights on Saturday night. Commercial television gave us a Sunday afternoon recording. Where I lived it was called Star Soccer, and it mainly showed the games of teams based in the Midlands. We only got to see teams like Liverpool, Leeds Utd, and Arsenal, if they happened to be playing an away game against a team from the Midlands.