John Pickering (football manager)

Infobox Football biography
playername = John Pickering


fullname =
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date|1944|11|7|mf=y
dateofdeath = death date|2001|5|30
cityofbirth = Stockton-on-Tees
countryofbirth = England
height =
currentclub =
clubnumber =
position = Centre back
youthyears = -1965
youthclubs = Newcastle United
years = 1965-1974
1974-1975
clubs = Halifax Town
Barnsley
Career
caps(goals) = 367 (5)
043 (2)
410 (7)
manageryears = 1978-1979
1985-1986
managerclubs = Blackburn Rovers
Lincoln City

John Pickering was a former professional footballer, coach and manager.

Playing career

Born in Stockton-on-Tees, John was raised in Thornaby-on-Tees where he attended Arthur Head School. He served his apprenticeship with Newcastle United but failed to make the first team and moved on to join Halifax Town in September 1965 for a fee of £1,250. A tough and uncompromising centre-half, he was a mainstay of the Halifax team during his nine years at the club. He was captain of the promotion winning team of 1969 and went on to make a record breaking total of 413 league and cup appearances for the club, including one run of 190 consecutive games. This achieved a notable family double as his uncle Barry Jackson holds the appearance record for York City.

In May 1974, Pickering was released by Halifax and joined Barnsley where he spent a single season before moving into coaching with Blackburn Rovers.

Coaching career

A highly respected and renowned coach his career involved spells with Blackburn Rovers, Carlisle United, Lincoln City, Newcastle United and Middlesbrough. He also had short spells as manager at both Blackburn and Lincoln.

He spent over ten years coaching with Middlesbrough, initially with the First-Team before moving to Boro's academy in 1998. He was caretaker manager of Middlesbrough for the final game of the 1993-94 season, steering the team to a 5-2 victory at Charlton Athletic and his service to Middlesbrough was recognised when Bryan Robson gave him the honour of leading the team out at Wembley for the Coca-Cola Cup final against Chelsea. He died in May 2001 after a long illness. He is fondly remembered at Middlesbrough and is one of more than 50 of the club's all-time great managers and players immortalised on the Boro Brick Road, a path outside the stadium.

Links

* [http://www.shaymenonline.org/sol2/players.php?section=profile&id=407 Halifax Town profile]
* [http://archive.thenorthernecho.co.uk/2001/5/31/169605.html Obituary, Northern Echo, 31 May 2001]
* [http://www.mfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/BoroBrickRoad/0,,1~1108146,00.html Added to Boro Brick Road, July 2007]