Pickles (dog)

Pickles
Species Dog
Breed Mixed Breed Collie
Sex Male
Died 1967
Known for finding the missing Jules Rimet Trophy
Owner David Corbett
Awards National Canine Defence League (silver medal)

Pickles (died 1967) was a black and white Collie dog renowned for his role in finding the stolen Jules Rimet Trophy in 1966.

Overview

The trophy had been stolen during a rare public stamp exhibition at Westminster Central Hall, on the afternoon of Sunday 20 March, just four months before the 1966 FIFA World Cup in England was scheduled to kick-off. The thief ignored rare stamps with a value of £3 million to steal the trophy, which was generally thought to be worth far less. Police subsequently received a £15,000 ransom demand, accompanied by the cup from the top of the trophy. However, when they arrested the man who had mailed the package, the police determined that he was a middleman, and the real culprit was never identified. Nevertheless, the rest of the trophy was found just seven days later wrapped in newspaper at the bottom of a suburban garden hedge in Beulah Hill, South Norwood, South London, by Pickles while taking a walk with his owner David Corbett.[1] When England won the trophy, as a reward, Pickles was invited to the celebration banquet and was allowed to lick his owner's bowl. His owner collected a £6,000 reward (based on increases in average earnings, this would be approximately £169,000 in 2009).[2] The thief was never caught.[3] Suspicion of involvement was attached briefly to David Corbett.[4]

Pickles starred with Eric Sykes and June Whitfield in the 1966 film The Spy With the Cold Nose.[5]

Pickles died in 1967 when he choked on his lead while chasing a cat.[5] He was buried in his owner's back garden [6] and his collar is on display in the National Football Museum in Manchester. An entirely fictional version of the story was told in a 2006 ITV drama written by Michael Chaplin, called Pickles: The Dog Who Won The World Cup. He was voiced by Harry Enfield.[7]

References

  1. ↑ Reid, Alastair (10 September 1966). "The World Cup". The New Yorker. p. 3. Retrieved 2 February 2007.
  2. ↑ "Measuring Worth - Relative Value of UK Pounds". Measuring Worth. 23 April 2003. Retrieved 1 January 2011.
  3. ↑ The Sunday Times Illustrated History Of Football Reed International Books Limited. 1996. p.133 ISBN 1-85613-341-9
  4. ↑ "The Canine Sherlock Holmes". The world's strangest mysteries. New York: Gallery Books. 1987. p. 545. ISBN 0-8317-9678-2.
  5. 1 2 Fleckney, Paul (10 June 2006). "How Pickles the dog dug up the accursed World Cup". This Is Local London. Retrieved 2 February 2007.
  6. ↑ Tribute to Pickles, Lost & Fond
  7. ↑ Pickles: The Dog Who Won the World Cup (2006) (TV), IMDB
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