Fans Museum's World Cup replica trophy 'found next to kebab' after going missing on day of Sunderland vs Bristol - founder urges its return

The golden trophy was on display along with Brazil and Santos shirts and other memorabilia as part of an ongoing tribute to football legend Pele following his death in December, 2022.

Museum founder Michael Ganley said he had enjoyed taking a number of Bristol City fans on a tour of the exhibits and at around 8pm on Saturday after the game had welcomed four supporters into the museum to enjoy a drink next to where the trophy was on display.

“We are a tourist attraction and welcome anyone to have a look at what’s on display,” he said.

"At 11pm I got a message from a Sunderland fan to say he’d seen four men travelling on a train from Sunderland to Newcastle with what appeared to be the World Cup. It was then I noticed our trophy was gone.”

Michael said he checked CCTV and footage showed someone putting the trophy under their jacket and walking out.

Michael decided not to contact the police straightaway, instead posting a message and photographs on the museum’s social media accounts in a bid to “prick the conscience” of the perpetrator into returning the trophy.

The post also cited a photograph and news article about Pickles the dog who in 1966, just months before England’s historic World Cup win, discovered the then Jules Rimet Trophy in a hedge in London after it was also snatched from an exhibit, this time at Westminster's Central Hall.

Michael added: “I realised (someone) had probably had a few too many drinks and done something daft and so I wanted to give (them) the chance to do the right thing. That’s why I made the post a bit light-hearted."

The post read: “Do the right thing please, or Pickles will hound you out. Not the smoothest of steals either. We do have nice clear pictures, so come on and get it brought back or your faces will be displayed for all to comment on.”

The post provoked a massive social media response, including from Bristol City fans.

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Michael’s strategy had the desired effect after this morning, Monday, February 20, receiving a message on social media from a Bristol City fan to say they had “found the trophy in their hotel room” and would “post it back in the next couple of days”.

The museum posted an updated which said: “The trophy has been found in a hotel room next to a doner kebab.”

While the post may be good-humoured, Michael has stressed he will contact the police if the trophy is not returned.

He added: “Hopefully it does return otherwise there will be a massive backlash from both sets of fans. People can have a drink and do silly things, but at the end of the day we can’t have people stealing from us.”