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Hosted in England - The 1966 FIFA World Cup was held in England from July 11 to 30, 1966.

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Venues - Matches took place at Wembley Stadium, Old Trafford, and Hillsborough among other venues.

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The trophy - The Jules Rimet Trophy was the original prize for winning the World Cup. It was originally called Victory, but was generally known simply as the World Cup. It was renamed in 1946 to honor FIFA President Jules Rimet, who had passed a vote in 1929 to initiate the competition.

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Safekeeping - The Football Association had received the trophy in January, prior to the tournament in July. It was usually kept in their headquarters at Lancaster Gate.

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On display - In February, Stanley Gibbons Ltd received permission to include the trophy in their Stampex exhibition in March on the condition that it would be under guard at all times.

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Value - The silver-plated trophy was reportedly insured for £30,000, despite its official value being only £3,000.

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Major attraction - The exhibition was held in the Westminster Central Hall, and the World Cup was a major attraction. Two uniformed police guarded the trophy around the clock, with two plainclothes officers added during the day.

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Secure - Additional guards reportedly stood beside the display cabinet when the exhibition was open. On Sundays, the venue was used for Methodist services.

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Missing - On Sunday, March 20, at around 12:10 pm, guards realized that someone had forced open the display case and stolen the trophy. The back doors of the hall were also open.

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Flying Squad - The Flying Squad interviewed the guards and two maintenance workers. One guard had noticed a strange man. A churchgoer had reportedly noticed a man as well, but gave a different description.

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Ransom - On March 21, the Chairman of the Football Association, Joe Mears, received a phone call telling him that he would receive a parcel the next day. The parcel contained the lining from the trophy and a ransom note that demanded £15,000 in £1 and £5 notes.

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Coded messages - The letter told Mears to place a coded ad in the personal ads of the Evening News. If they followed the further instructions, they could get the trophy back. If he informed the police or press, the thieves would melt the trophy down. A man who identified himself as Jackson called back and changed the instructions to £5 and £10 notes.

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Fake money - Regardless, Mears told the police, who instructed him to place the ad and created a false ransom payment with real money only at the top and bottom.

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Arrangement - An undercover officer met Jackson at Battersea Park and handed over the fake money. Jackson got into the officer's car and agreed to lead him to the trophy.

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Panic -

On the way, Jackson panicked and jumped from the car. He was found in a garden and arrested.

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Edward Betchley - Police recognized him as Edward Betchley, a thief and used car dealer who had been convicted of theft and receiving stolen goods. Betchley denied that he had stolen the trophy. He claimed that someone he knew only as the Pole had offered him £500 to act as a middleman.

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Missing - But the trophy was still missing.

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Pickles - A few days later, David Corbett and his dog Pickles were walking in southeast London when Pickles began to sniff at a parcel under the hedge of Corbett's house.

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Found - The parcel was wrapped in an old newspaper and tied with string. When Corbett opened it, he recognized the World Cup trophy.

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Safe return -

Police returned the trophy to the FA before the opening of the tournament. Meanwhile, the Football Association had commissioned a replica in case the prize was not recovered.

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National hero - Pickles became a national hero!

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Fame - He was awarded the silver medal of the National Canine Defence League, and was offered TV and film roles.

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Dog of the year - Pickles starred in the 1966 film 'The Spy with a Cold Nose.' He also appeared on 'Blue Peter' and 'Magpie', was named Dog of the Year, and was awarded a year of free food by a pet food manufacturer. Corbett collected nearly £5,000 as a reward, which he used to buy a house.

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Punishment - Edward Betchley was convicted of demanding money with menaces with intent to steal, and received concurrent sentences of two years. The Pole was never identified, and it is unclear whether he really existed.

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Celebration - England went on to win the World Cup on their home turf. Pickles and Corbett were invited to the celebration banquet, and the dog was allowed to lick his owner's bowl!

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A new World Cup - In 1970, Brazil won the tournament for the third time, allowing them to keep the trophy permanently. A new trophy was commissioned and is used today.

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Tragic ending -

Unfortunately, Pickles died in 1967. He was strangled when his leash caught on a tree branch while he was chasing a cat. He is buried in Corbett's back garden, and his collar is on display in the National Football Museum in Manchester. The replica trophy commissioned in 1966 is also on display.

See also: FIFA World Cup fails—the biggest blunders ever made

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