From Pickles to Rosie47: Top 10 dogs in football

By Mirror Football in Mirror Football Blog

Published 16:24 10/09/10

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Carlos Tevez has accused Roberto Mancini of treating him "like a dog" during the infamous Champions League tie that sparked the rift between the Argentine striker and Manchester City.

Do you think Tevez has had some "ruff" treatment from the Italian? Or are you a City fan hoping he will come back to the team and help them "winalot"?

Either way, we thought it proper to have a look at some of the real canines who have made their mark on the beautiful game.

Here's MirrorFootball's Chris Bloor to shepherd you through this traumatic occasion.

10) Triggs (may you rest in peace)
We would be remiss if Triggs were not featured in this list, for the faithful mutt stuck by Roy Keane in his hours of need. When he got sent off following a fracas with Alan Shearer; when he stormed out of the Republic of Ireland camp after he told Mick McCarthy to 'stick it up your bollix'; when he left Sunderland; Triggs was there for his master. The former Manchester United midfielder was once quoted as saying he trusted his dog more than some of his teammates, such was the veracity of Triggs' fidelity.

9) Pickles
Pickles became an overnight hero back in 1966 when his endeavours led to the recovery of the World Cup trophy. Few dogs can claim to have interceded in footballing concerns in such a sensational manner. One evening, while being taken for a walk, he drew the attention of his owner, David Corbett, to a package wrapped in newspaper. Imagine his surprise, upon unwrapping the mysterious object, when it dawned upon him that he now possessed the hallowed Jules Rimet trophy. Pickles gained celebrity status, even starring in a film, The Spy with the Cold Nose , before sadly snuffing it in 1973.

8) Coco and Buster
It was big news when Ashley and Cheryl finally decided to split. What a fortune the two possessed, how would they ever divvy it up? There promised to be hours of wrangling over houses, money, and phone bills. In fact we were left a little disappointed when it was all over in a jiffy, around the same time it took Cheryl to replace him. The only sticking point? Coco and Buster. The two Chihuahuas were beloved to both. Many were left stunned by Ashley's apparent sentimentality. You don't want your wife - Cheryl Cole no less! - but you can't bear to be separated from the dogs? In the end, Cole's infidelities cost him the beloved duo, and rightly so we say.

7) Quinn
Having had his house raided by four masked intruders while on duty for Liverpool, Steven Gerrard decided it was time to beef up security. His wife, Alex Curran, had been watching the match while his two children slept upstairs. Sufficiently spooked, Stevie brought in a crack team of former SAS soldiers to ensure their safety. The latest addition to the team is Quinn, a ferocious-looking Alsatian that patrols the grounds at night with his handler, former prison officer Alan Sedley. This is certainly one animal you don't want to get up close and personal with.

6) Rooney's French Mastiff
Wayne's past infidelities may have cost him £1200, but it was reported that he spent the same figure on his French Mastiff, a mere pup at the time of purchase. Apparently the dog can grow to a sizeable nine stone. That's probably more than Coleen, isn't it? The Rooneys then invested £10,000 in underfloor heating to make their poodle palace as luxurious as possible for their beloved doggies. How the other half live, huh?

5) Pomo and Yanta
Fernando Torres, always one to try and buff up that macho image that he so meticulously galvanised for himself since coming to England, bought himself and his girlfriend a couple of bulldogs, Pomo and Yanta. It's become common knowledge that the powder princess likes to sit with his pups while he watches his favourite TV show. Unfortunately, that show happens to be - wait for it - The Dog Whisperer . Maybe he should switch channels to The Goal Whisperer instead.

4) Bela Bela by name, but not by nature. Maradona's adorably named Chinese Shar-Pei didn't quite live up to her billing when she mauled the former Argentinian coach's face, leaving him needing ten stitches above the lip. According to a reliable source (dogbreedinfo.com) the Shar-Pei will respond well to dominant owners, who demonstrate the ability to be 'top dog'. As Argentina's early exit from the 2010 World Cup showed, Diego might not be the man for the job.

3) Rosie There cannot be a current list of famous dogs without mention of the little mutt that so enthralled the court and public during Harry Redknapp's recent tussle with the HMRC. According to trial transcripts, Redknapp flew to Monaco to open a bank account in 2002 in the name of his dog and the year of his birth. The account became central to the Redknapp's tax evasion case that culminated in Redknapp and former Pompey owner Milan Mandaric being cleared, Rosie becoming a star and the HMRC with dog doodoo on their faces.

2) Newton Heath's Major Way, way back, around the time Queen Victoria died (that's 1901 for all of you who didn't do history) there was a lesser known club operating under the name of Newton Heath. They were in dire financial trouble, and so in an effort to raise funds their owner, Harry Stafford, took his dog Major with him to play the sympathy card. Major escaped, and - clearly realising the plight of his beloved team - fled to the house of a wealthy local businessman, John Henry Davies. The soft-hearted Davies fell for the St. Bernard, and tracked down its owner. The two men became friends, and having heard about the club's crisis, decided to step in. The transformed Newton Heath changed to a red and white kit, and became known as Manchester United. What ever became of them?

1) Bi During the 1962 World Cup quarter-final between Brazil and England in Chile a stray dog halted proceedings by running onto the pitch. His foray continued until Jimmy Greaves bent down on all fours and captured the run away. Unfortunately for Jimmy though, his only reward was that the dog sprung a leak. “I smelled bad,” said Greaves, “but at least it meant the Brazilian defenders stayed clear of me.” One of his opponents, the magician that was Garrincha, found the whole event so amusing that he decided to adopt the dog.

Here's real footage of Jimmy getting hosed, and a Baddiel and Skinner spoof of this momentous man/canine moment.

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