Episode 9 — The World Cup Trophy Got Stolen — And a Dog Found It | Smile with Daniel
HistoryEpisode 9

The World Cup Trophy Got Stolen — And a Dog Found It

8 minSeason 1
The World Cup trophy was stolen in 1966. A dog named Pickles found it under a hedge a week later. This actually happened.
00:00-08:00
Listen where you already listen

About this episode

In March 1966, four months before England was due to host the World Cup, the trophy was stolen from a philatelic exhibition in London. Despite a police investigation, a ransom demand, and significant national anxiety, the trophy remained missing for a week. It was found by a dog named Pickles during a Sunday walk with his owner David Corbett in the south London suburb of Beulah Hill. Pickles sniffed at a package wrapped in newspaper under a garden hedge. Inside was the Jules Rimet Trophy. England went on to win that World Cup four months later.

Daniel and Mom trace the theft, the investigation, the recovery, and what happened to Pickles afterward. The episode closes on a line that earns its warmth.

Who’s talking

Daniel
DanielHost & Chief Question-Asker

Daniel is nine. He asks the questions, refuses to accept easy answers, and picks every episode topic himself.

Mom
MomCo-host & Researcher

Mom does the digging - finding the sources, checking the claims, and translating them into something a nine-year-old will actually sit still for.

Things to remember

01

The Jules Rimet Trophy was stolen from a London exhibition in March 1966, four months before the World Cup.

02

Despite a police investigation and ransom demand, it remained missing for a week.

03

A dog named Pickles found it wrapped in newspaper under a garden hedge during a Sunday walk.

04

England went on to win that World Cup four months after the trophy was recovered.

“Good boy, Pickles.”
Daniel

Never miss an episode

One email when a new one lands. Nothing else.

Share this episode

Episode details

Number
9
Season
1
Length
8 min
Topic
History
Ages
6–11