Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Dog who saved the World
Channel 4, 10pm IN a caper worthy of a classic British crime flick, this documentary tells the audacious story of the theft of the World Cup trophy.
Delving lock, stock and barrel into the surprising and quintessentially English crime, it even reveals the identity of the thieves whodunnit. England hosted the 1966 tournament and it’s the only time the Three Lions have ever got their hands on the famous cup. But Bobby Moore almost never got the chance to lift the golden Jules Rimet trophy.
Just weeks ahead of the tournament, it was stolen in London. The FA, the government and the police became an international laughing stock. That is until a dog named Pickles retrieved it and became a national hero.
There’s even a chat here with Pickles’ proud owner, Dave Corbett, who says: “He was sniffing around and I saw the parcel, a newspaper-wrapped package. I thought ‘What the hell is that?’”
The truth of who stole the World Cup and what happened to the statuette in the days it was missing has remained a mystery for decades.
But this film, ahead of the 2022 tournament, reveals an extraordinary story that took place entirely away from the pitch. It’s a story of spivs and wide boys, from criminals in South London to the very top of politics.
Mirror crime editor Tom Pettifor – the film’s co-executive producer – reckons it’s “like Lassie meets The Italian Job meets an Ealing comedy”.
It’s certainly a compelling tale so ridiculous you couldn’t make it up.