1966 theft of the Jules Rimet Trophy

The Football Association had received the silver-gilt trophy in January 1966 before the scheduled World Cup tournament the next July.

In February, Stanley Gibbons' stamp company received permission to place the Trophy in their Stampex exhibition in March on condition that it would be under guard at all times.

The exhibition was held in the Westminster Central Hall and opened on 19 March 1966, and the World Cup was a major attraction.

None of the guards had seen or heard anything suspicious, though one of them reported that he had seen a strange man by the public telephone when he had visited the lavatory on the first floor.

On Monday 21 March, Joe Mears, the Chairman of the Football Association, received an anonymous phone call.

Despite the warnings, Mears contacted the police, met Detective Inspector Charles Buggy of the Flying Squad and gave the trophy lining and the letter to him.

Mears was suffering from an asthma attack so his wife answered instead and gave the phone to the "assistant McPhee" (who was DI Buggy).

"Jackson" was nervous but finally agreed to arrange a switch and told "McPhee" to come to Battersea Park to meet him at the gate.

At the station, police recognised that "Jackson" was Edward Betchley, a petty thief and used car dealer who had been convicted of theft and receiving stolen goods.

David Corbett attended the players' celebration dinner after the World Cup Final, and later received rewards totaling £6,000.

Edward Betchley was convicted of demanding money with menaces with intent to steal, and received concurrent sentences of two years.

In 2018, criminal investigative journalist Tom Pettifor identified the Jules Rimet Trophy thief as being Sidney Cugullere.

[5] The Doctor Who Short Trip "This Sporting Life", an audio story by Big Finish Productions, revolves around the theft of the Trophy.