KNOW YOUR HISTORY TALES FROM FOOTBALL’S PAST

Have you ever heard about the time English football got itself in a bit of a pickle, and was saved THE DOG THAT by an unlikely four-legged hero? FOUND THE 1966 WORLD CUP!

LONDON 1966

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k3_History_Pickles.indd 30 24/05/2018 15:42 1. WORLD CUP EXCITEMENT has only ever hosted the World Cup once, Have you ever heard about the when they won it in , but they very nearly didn’t have a trophy to lift after the final! Forget time English football got itself in Geoff Hurst, who scored a hat-trick in the final, or a bit of a pickle, and was saved England skipper . The real hero of the tournament was a collie named by an unlikely four-legged hero? Pickles, who is now the most famous dog in football . THE DOG THAT Let’s go back to March , and stadiums across England were preparing to host the World Cup that summer. To add to the excitement, the shiny trophy was put on public display in central .

2. BURGLAR ALARM! OnOn the second day of the exhibition, disaster struck. Security guards returned from a break to find that a . the trophy and disappeared sneaky thief had stolen The shocking news spread around thethe world. FA, who are in Two days later the chairman of 3. WHAT A DOG’S DINNER charge of football in England, received a letter. It was In south London, robbers, and said that if the chairman didn’t Pickles the dog from the police, they would He was sniffing around, as dogs do, was when out he for found a walk. pay a huge ransom, or went to the . something interesting under a melt the gold trophy down pulled out a hedge. His owner package, unwrapped it and couldn’t The chairman believe what he saw: the handed the letter to World Cup trophy back at him! The pair took it straight to the shining the police anyway, . As the saviour of the World Cup, police and they investigated . a national hero – and a few months laterPickles so did became But soon someone had Moore, as he lifted that trophy at THE 1966 sniffed out what they Bobby attended a victory feast Wembley. Both were looking for! lifted Pickles up in front ofand, the from a balcony, Moore Dinner with the team is not acelebrating bad way to crowds.celebrate your country’s World Cup win – and they even let WORLD CUP! Pickles lick his owner’s bowl clean!

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k3_History_Pickles.indd 31 24/05/2018 15:42