What Happened to the Stolen World Cup Trophy in 1966?

The Jules Rimet Trophy was stolen from a London stamp exhibition on 20 March 1966. A collie called Pickles found it wrapped in newspaper in south London a week later, on 27 March. It was returned to the FA in time for the tournament, and England went on to win the World Cup that summer.

That is the 1966 story, but it is not the only theft. The original trophy was awarded permanently to Brazil after the 1970 World Cup and was stolen again in Rio de Janeiro in December 1983, never to be recovered. Below, the two are kept apart, along with the thief, the disputed figures and what the sources cannot confirm. For wider context, see how the World Cup grew over the decades.

What happened to the stolen World Cup trophy in 1966?

The trophy was on show at the Stampex stamp exhibition at Westminster Central Hall, which opened on 19 March 1966. On Sunday 20 March, guards found the display case forced open and the trophy gone. The padlock had been removed.

A week later, on 27 March, Pickles found it in south London, wrapped in newspaper and tied with string. Accounts differ on the exact spot: one places it under a hedge, another by the front wheel of a parked car on Beulah Hill.

The police kept the cup as evidence until 18 April, then returned it to the FA in time for the tournament. The original was later awarded permanently to Brazil, which is a separate story, covered further down.

How was the World Cup trophy stolen in March 1966?

The FA received the trophy in January 1966. Stanley Gibbons got permission to show it at the exhibition in March, on condition it was guarded at all times. FIFA President Stanley Rous agreed to the display on conditions including transport by a reputable security firm, a locked glass case and insurance of £30,000.

The exhibition was guarded, but not around the clock, and the thieves got in during the day when the display case was forced open.

On Monday 21 March, FA chairman Joe Mears received an anonymous call. A parcel at his home contained the removable lining from the top of the trophy and a ransom note, which threatened to melt the trophy down if the demand was not met.

Who found the stolen World Cup trophy?

Pickles was a black and white collie. His owner, David Corbett, a Thames lighterman, was walking him on Beulah Hill when the dog sniffed out the parcel. Corbett recognised the trophy by the winners' names on the base and took it to Gipsy Hill police station.

Corbett briefly fell under suspicion himself. He later said he first thought the package was a bomb, because of the IRA threat at the time. He was cleared after a few hours of questioning, though he spent some weeks on a list of suspects.

Pickles was given a medal and a year's supply of dog food, and appeared in the 1966 film The Spy with a Cold Nose. He died in 1967 near his new home in Surrey. It is one of the stories in 25 football stories so crazy they sound made up.

Was the thief who stole the World Cup trophy ever caught?

Police set up a sting, and Detective Inspector Charles Buggy met a man calling himself Jackson at Battersea Park. Police identified him as Edward Betchley, a petty thief and used-car dealer. Betchley denied stealing the cup and claimed to be a middleman.

Betchley was convicted of demanding money with menaces and received concurrent two-year sentences. He died of emphysema in 1969. In court he said: "Whatever my sentence is, I hope that England wins the World Cup."

The person who actually took the trophy was never convicted. In 2018, Tom Pettifor's investigation identified Sidney Cugullere as the thief. That is a reported finding, not a court verdict, and other possible culprits were never identified.

What happened to the original World Cup trophy after 1970?

The original trophy was awarded permanently to Brazil after the 1970 World Cup. It was stolen from the Brazilian Football Confederation headquarters in Rio de Janeiro in December 1983 and was never recovered. This is a separate theft from the 1966 one, and searchers may mix the two up. The sources do not identify anyone arrested for the 1983 theft.

The FA had a base-metal replica made for publicity, so the gold-plated original could be kept safe. A replica bought by FIFA is now held by the National Football Museum in Manchester. The sources do not confirm where the original cup is after the 1983 theft.

Why do the ransom and reward figures differ between accounts?

Accounts of the ransom disagree. One gives the demand as £150,000, while FIFA and another source give £15,000. The figures could not be reconciled, so neither is treated as settled.

The reward is also unclear. One source says nearly £5,000, another gives £6,000 in total rewards. Corbett also attended the England players' celebration dinner after the final.

Where sources disagree, this article gives the figures as reported rather than choosing one. Stories like this one are retold for decades in football fan culture, so details can shift between tellings.