Head football world cup

It has been 57 years since Pickles the dog rescued England’s World Cup dream by finding the stolen Jules Rimet Trophy.

The unlikely hero’s discovery came after the trophy had been stolen from a public exhibition just a few months before the 1966 World Cup was due to get underway in England. Pickles’ heroics made him a superstar in the UK and he is not the last pooch to be made famous by football in the years since.

Here, Daily Star Sport looks at the stories of Pickles and six other dogs who have rose to stardom in the world of football.

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Pickles the dog

Despite a middleman being arrested after the Jules Rimet Trophy was stolen in March 1966, the missing silverware was still yet to be located a week on from the theft.

That was until Pickles stepped up as he sniffed around a neighbour’s car, with his owner David Corbett recalling in 2016: “There was a package by the front wheel. It was very tightly wrapped – the IRA was in action in those days and I thought to myself ‘was it a bomb?’

“So I picked it up. Put it down. Picked it up, put it down again. I tore a little bit off the bottom and saw a shield. I recognised it straight away and thought ‘This is it!'”

Corbett was initially treated as a suspect before being cleared of any wrongdoing once the trophy had been identified as the real thing. As for Pickles, he was presented with a cash prize for finding the treasure and was photographed posing with a football.

Relegation saviour

Back in May 1987, Torquay United found themselves on the brink of relegation from the Football League as they trailed Crewe Alexandra on the final day of the season.

With Torquay’s desperate attempts to find an equaliser to keep them up appearing to be in vain, right-back Jim McNichol was bitten by a police dog who thought he was attacking his handler.

In the time added on for McNichol receiving treatment, Torquay equalised and secured their place in the Fourth Division for the following season.

Fluminense superfan

Brazilians are known for their passionate support and their pets are no different.

One Fluminense fan’s dog recently went viral after being caught on camera watching the club play on television. The excited pooch could be seen wearing the club’s home shirt as it lay at the foot of a bed watching the match.

After Fluminense scored, the dog excitedly jumped in the air before running round in circles in celebration.

Touching tribute

Unlike the other dogs on this list, one footballer’s pet instead rose to fame after tragically passing away last year.

The player emotionally celebrated scoring for their club by ripping off his jersey to reveal a t-shirt baring an image of his recently-deceased dog.

As his team-mates gathered around him, the player then ushered them away so that the cameras at the side of the pitch could get a good view of the photo. Visibly emotional, he also lifted the shirt up to kiss the photo as he gazed to the sky.

P***taking pooch

Not all of football’s famous dogs have made their mark by saving the day, with one pooch doing the opposite last summer.

A non-league friendly between Yorkshire clubs Ilkley Town and Thackley back in July had to be paused after a dog bounded onto the pitch to relieve themselves during the match.

The dog ran around the pitch before heading to the corner flag to take a “p***”, much to the amusement of the players and those watching on the sidelines.

World Cup guard dog

After his penalty shootout antics helped Argentina win a third World Cup in December, Emiliano Martinez was quick to ensure his winners medal would be well-protected.

The Aston Villa goalkeeper forked out £20,000 on a Belgian Malinois guard dog to protect his medal after returning to the Midlands following the tournament.

Belgian Malinois’ can weigh up to 30kgs and have been deployed by the SAS and US Navy Seals in the past, with Martinez having his pet pooch specially trained to guard his home from invaders.

Club mascots

In addition to pet pooches and pitch invaders, football’s famous dogs also include a string of club mascots to have graced stadiums from the Premier League to League Two.

Huddersfield Town’s Terry the Terrier was the subject of controversy in 2018 after being pictured looking glum during a match against Watford, having been told to sit down to avoid obstructing the view of supporters.

Meanwhile, Birmingham City mascot Beau Brummie was involved in a kidnapping scare in 2012, only for it to turn out the mascot was instead taking a break until the club started spending money.

Barnsley, Doncaster Rovers, Newport County and Dagenham & Redbridge also have dogs as their official club mascots.

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Roy Keane finally enters the action in Daily Star’s World Cup of S***houses as the ex- Manchester United star looks to make it a double.

Keane was our back-to-back winner in our World Cup of Pundits and is among the favourites in the new tournament – though faces some fierce competition from some true s***houses.

You know the type – those that pull, pinch, time waste and use every trick in the book to wind up the opposition and win games. We absolutely love them.

In fact, we love it so much, that we thought a true champion needs to be crowned and came up with our very own World Cup of S***houses. But who wins? You decide…

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We have shortlisted 32 names and split them into four randomly-drawn groups. With Groups A and B now done and dusted, we move on to Group C with the top two progressing to the semi-finals.

You get only one pick, so choose wisely!

Roy Keane

With a s***house legacy that has far surpassed his playing career, Roy Keane is a worthy contender to go the distance in Daily Star’s World Cup of Football S***houses.

From his brutal payback tackle on Alf-Inge Haaland that was years in the making to mocking the voice of Harry Maguire while on Sky Sports punditry back in 2021, Keane never holds his punches.

Now settled into the punditry game after stepping away from management – Premier League players will no doubt hope to avoid his wrath for years to come.

Pepe

Real Madrid icon Pepe has picked up a total of 14 red cards during his playing career – with a 2009 sending off providing a truly memorable meltdown.

The central defender first shoved over Javi Casquero before grabbing his opponent by the head, proceeding to stand on his rival twice for good measure.

Pepe then struck Juan Albin in the face before being handed a 10-match ban in true s***house style. Also known for rattling his opponents, Pepe found the time to slam Morocco’s time-wasting after the World Cup in December.

Diego Godin

Another central defender who would do anything to lead his team to victory Diego Godin was a master of the dark arts during his time under Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid .

The Uruguay veteran has never been afraid to tussle with opponents using elbows and shoulders in a bid to assert his physical dominance – and is a master of doing so without the officials seeing.

His ability to find the net from set-pieces only strengthened the fury Godin would bring out of his opponents, with his departure from Europe a big loss to the s***house community.

Jamie Vardy

Jamie Vardy in his pomp would laugh his way through Premier League fixtures on his way to scoring a hugely impressive 134 goals in the competition for Leicester.

Having celebrated against Wolves by doing his best howl and doing a dancing eagle impression after netting against Crystal Palace, Vardy is truly a leading s***house.

The former England man is never happier than when winding up opposition fanbases dating back to his Championship days – and is right among the contenders for Daily Star’s World Cup of Football S***houses.

Robin Friday

The late former Reading and Cardiff City forward Robin Friday left some legacy in the game – despite retiring at the age of 25 and passing away just 13 years later.

Friday was known for unsettling opponents and a rather poor disciplinary record – once booting Mark Lawrenson in the face during a fixture.

As well as his spoiling tactics, Friday was hailed for his footballing intelligence as well as physical and mental strength – and is firmly a cult hero.

Martin Keown

The image of Martin Keown screaming in the face of Ruud van Nistelrooy is quite possibly the most recognisable striker vs defender clash in Premier League history.

Arsenal’s Keown was not only delighted but seemingly delirious after Van Nistelrooy missed a Manchester United spot-kick, getting up close and personal for good measure.

Although additionally known for his crunching tackles with six Premier League red cards, it will be that penalty reaction that has Keown in contention for Daily Star’s World Cup of Football S***houses glory.

Claudio Gentile

A Juventus and Italy icon, Claudio Gentile was an uncompromising defender who made his name as a man-marker who was not shy of aggressive challenges.

Often placed on polls of the hardest players in football history, Gentile was smart enough to limit his red cards to one across his career which no doubt wound up the opposition even more.

Gentile said in 2021: “A defender has to be strong. That’s something very different to being dirty and going in to do harm. A defender is a defender, not a dancer.”

Scott Brown

Scott Brown is synonymous with the Celtic success of the past two decades, leading his side to glory through his leadership as well as physical and mental strength.

Brown loved nothing more than winding up opposition players and fans during his time at Parkhead, notably getting Alfredo Morelos sent off in a 2019 Old Firm derby.

If that fixture needed to sum up his style in ore detail, he casques a mass brawl after scuffling with Ryan Kent, with Celtic of course going on to win.

VOTE HERE NOW!

Voting for Group D of the Daily Star World Cup of S***houses will end on Sunday April 2.

You only get to vote for one player, so choose wisely!

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Carlton Palmer was kept in hospital after his ‘heart played up’ whilst he was running a half marathon.

The ex-Sheffield Wednesday striker was participating in the Sheffield half marathon along with his wife Lucy Palmer to raise money for their charity, Cavendish Cancer Care, on Saturday. Palmer was in a buoyant mood before the race and revealed he was looking forward to raising money for those who have been affected by the illness.

He also quipped that he was eagerly anticipating, “the finish line”, when asked by a reporter. But the former England international had to be rushed to hospital, where he was kept overnight, after the race when his heart started playing up on the first mile.

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However, the 57-year-old bravely managed to finish the race before going to seek medical help, and revealed that he was fine whilst explaining he was kept overnight for tests.

Palmer, who made 18 appearances for the Three Lions, tweeted: “Just to let everyone know I am ok, being kept in overnight in hospital observation/tests heart played up again in the first mile but I managed to complete the course. Congratulations to my gorgeous wife for going sub two hours love you.”

What’s your favourite football memory of Carlton Palmer? Let us know in the comments section below

It was a valiant effort from Palmer who ran the distance in two hours, nine minutes, and 21 seconds. Palmer initially had heart problems in 2016 when he had surgery on the vital organ. Doctors performed the surgery which lasted five hours through his groin.

Thankfully, the surgery went well and Palmer was soon on the mend. After the procedure, he tweeted from his hospital bed: “Thank you for all your kind wishes. I am on the road to recovery .it just shows you how times have moved on five-hour heart surgery.”

The former forward will be hoping to be back to his best ahead of the TCS London Marathon he’s slated to participate in on April 23, where he plans to raise money for Mencap Charity for Mencap.

Before retiring in 2003, Palmer had a colourful life as a player and claims he was once stitched up by his Wednesday team-mates to go out drinking the night before a game as they knew they weren’t playing but he was.

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On Saturday evening, Armenia and Turkey will square off with one another in their Euro 2024 qualifier in a clash that goes beyond the confines of football.

The sides have only played each twice since Armenia’s independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 – during the 2010 World Cup qualifiers. “This is only a football game, it is not a war. We cannot carry the weight of history on our shoulders,” Fatih Terim told press ahead of the game.

However, the two countries have no diplomatic relationship, and their 193-mile land border is closed. Their rivalry stems from the refusal of Turkey to acknowledge a genocide against the Armenians predating the foundation of each country, and yet UEFA allows them to play each other.

Some countries, however, are deemed too dangerous to face each other.

Russia vs Ukraine

Russia and Ukraine have been separated by UEFA since 2014 – when skirmishes of conflict broke out in the Donbas region of Ukraine.

However, the two sides did clash in the 2021 Futsal European Champions, just weeks before Vladimir Putin’s troops crossed the border and started their siege on Kyiv. On that evening Ukrainian fans chanted: “Putin is a d***head.”

That was met with a reaction over the PA system: “Please stop singing political songs. If it continues the referee will stop the game.” In 11-a-side clashes, Russia and Ukraine haven’t played each other since 2007.

Armenia vs Azerbaijan

Europe’s ‘forgotten war’ still sees flourishes of conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh – also known as Artsakh.

Internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan it’s ethnically Armenian – causing the two sides to clash in the bitter conflict. Interestingly, FK Qarabag – who have played in the Champions League in recent seasons – are technically from the region.

Qarabag, who play in Azerbaijan, escaped the conflict in 1993, relocating to Baku: Azerbaijan’s capital, where they have been heavily funded by the government. In Azerbaijan, their viewed as a wonderful fairytale, while in Armenia it’s scoffed at as a PR exercise to aid their claim.

Kosovo vs Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Russia

When Kosovo was granted status from FIFA and UEFA, they were almost instantly banned from facing Serbia – who also claim the region.

Kosovo declared independence 15 years ago, following the Yugoslavian Civil War. However, they have faced numerous challenges with some countries not recognising the new state: alongside Serbia, these include Russia, China and Spain.

Due to tensions remaining in the Balkans, Kosovo can’t face Bosnia – while Russia can’t face Kosovo, with UEFA citing security risks.

Spain vs Gibraltar

Another disputed territory means that two UEFA sides have to be kept apart in qualification and – should Gibraltar pull off a miracle and qualify – tournaments.

Gibraltar is an overseas region of the United Kingdom, which was ceded to the UK under the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. However, Spain still maintains a claim over the region – and to play them in an international match would recognise their independence.

It’s the same reason why Spain doesn’t recognise Kosovo, because of their stance towards Gibraltar.

Palestine vs Israel

In a similar situation to the previous entry, both Palestine and Israel lay claim to the same area. And their bitter conflict is often on the front pages of the news.

Due to Israel’s treatment of Palestine, the Arab world refused to play them, which led to Israel qualifying for the 1958 World Cup without playing a single game. In the 1980s Israel left the AFC, which meant they entered Oceania’s qualification for two World Cups.

Israeli clubs began taking part in European club competitions in 1991 and its football association became full UEFA members in 1994.

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