In 1966, four months before the start of the FIFA World Cup tournament, the cup itself - the Jules Rimet trophy - was stolen by London gangsters Sidney and Reg Cugullere.
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The brothers demanded a ransom of £15,000 for the return of the cup. Police tried to negotiate, arranging a meeting with a mediator in which they took along a briefcase full of fake cash. The negotiation went wrong, however, and they remained none the wiser as to the location of the cup.
One week later, Pickles, a four-year-old black and white collie, was walking with his owner David Corbett through South London. Pickles became very interested in a mysterious object wrapped in newspaper by a garden hedge in Upper Norwood.
David was wary - the IRA were active at this time and he was afraid the object might be a bomb. However, he unwrapped the parcel and discovered that it was in fact the Jules Rimet trophy!
At first, David was considered a potential suspect and was submitted to questioning by Scotland Yard. However, once it transpired that David really was innocent, he received a £5,000 reward. As for Pickles, he was awarded a silver medal by the National Canine Defence League.
Nice job Pickles!
