Fred Pickering

[oldjamfan1]

I’m slightly reluctant to post this as there is no official confirmation as far as I know but I hear that Fred Pickering has passed away. 

RIP

[Proudtobeblue&white]

No reason to doubt, 78 years young if the case. Blackburn born and bred. Always sad to lose one of our own.

[AAK]

Lancashire telegraph confirmed his passing. Rip Fred.

[Paul Mellelieu]

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/17421593.former-blackburn-rovers-star-fred-pickering-78-dies/

[den]

Can’t believe it. Another part of me dies. That just leaves Duggie and Mike Ferguson. 

RIP Fred. One of the best we’ve had, only bettered by Shearer in my lifetime.

[47er]

And he was a real star . A genuine get, you off the seat centre-forward who was the best in the country when he went to Everton.

Watched his transition from left-back to striker with utter amazement. He just didn't seem right for the position, not agile enough, too "bulky".

I soon found out I was wrong though. Along with the others he gave me among the best moments of my life.

Left the best defenders in Div 1 trailing in his wake.

Very sad news.

 

[den]

He struck terror into the centre halves didn’t he 47er. He would knock anyone out of his way to get to that ball.

Tough guy as well. Remember him stood over a floored Tony Singleton of PNE on the half way line at Ewood throwing punches at the guy as he was on the ground - in a friendly.

[den9112]

Sad day indeed i spent many late night discussions with him regarding football when i was  in my late twenties a lovely man he was and his wife was also very down to earth...

Edited February 9, 2019 by den9112

[47er]

3 minutes ago, den said:

He struck terror into the centre halves didn’t he 47er. He would knock anyone out of his way to get to that ball.

Tough guy as well. Remember him stood over a floored Tony Singleton of PNE on the half way line at Ewood throwing punches at the guy as he was on the ground - in a friendly.

Don't remember that Den but we can settle on "committed"!

What always surprised me was that he had the speed when he needed it. To look at him you wondered where it came from!

[Parsonblue]

So sad to lose another of the sixties team so soon after Mike Harrison.  So many wonderful memories they've let behind.  Fred was such a powerful striker who feared nobody and who could score goals for fun.  I remember being distraught when he was sold to Everton.  RIP Fred.

[den]

Couldn’t resist.

 

[RevidgeBlue]

Slightly before my time on the pitch but met him in relatively recent years and he was a lovely bloke.

RIP Fred.

[Mercer]

2 hours ago, den said:

Couldn’t resist.

 

A great picture of both Fred and the old Riverside.

A 'real' centre forward who averaged 1 in 2 for Rovers.  One of my first Rovers' heroes.  Friends who are Blackpool fans loved him - achieved legendary status there by scoring a hat trick against Preston which took them up to the old First Division and relegated arch rivals Preston.  Came back to Rovers a year or two later but sadly Fred wasn't the same force.

Fred and Shearer the best centre forwards I've seen for Rovers.

In his prime, Fred would have been worth £100million at today's prices.

R.I.P. Fred.

Edited February 10, 2019 by Mercer

[philipl]

Never saw him play as he had already been sold but very saddened by this news.

[dave birch]

9 hours ago, Mercer said:

A great picture of both Fred and the old Riverside.

A 'real' centre forward who averaged 1 in 2 for Rovers.  One of my first Rovers' heroes.  Friends who are Blackpool fans loved him - achieved legendary status there by scoring a hat trick against Preston which took them up to the old First Division and relegated arch rivals Preston.  Came back to Rovers a year or two later but sadly Fred wasn't the same force.

Fred and Shearer the best centre forwards I've seen for Rovers.

In his prime, Fred would have been worth £100million at today's prices.

R.I.P. Fred.

I can hear the thunder of the feet stamping in the riverside stand.

Just looking at that photo brings back the smell of the mens bogs in that corner, and oh, the Blackburn end, before the cantilever stand.

Memories.

[den]

My favourite shirt as well.

well favourite kit actually. Didn’t someone say they loved those socks?

Edited February 10, 2019 by den

[JacknOry]

Before my time but have of course heard many stories of about how good this man was. RIP in peace to another club legend.

[arbitro]

1 hour ago, den said:

My favourite shirt as well.

well favourite kit actually. Didn’t someone say they loved those socks?

I said that Den. They really set the kit off and the beauty of the whole kit is its simplicity. I remember getting the full kit from Johnny Forbes and I felt a million dollars.

RIP Fred - one of our own.

[matt83]

Out of interest who would people of that vintage consider to be the greatest ever Blackburn born and bred player?

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

36 minutes ago, matt83 said:

Out of interest who would people of that vintage consider to be the greatest ever Blackburn born and bred player?

Bryan Douglas without a doubt.

I can't figure out that photo. We started wearing that kit in late 1962 and the cantilever stand at the Blackburn End was already built by then, maybe it's just out of shot. It's a great photo of Fred in his prime.

He was just coming into the side when I first started watching Rovers. He was a bit raw at first but soon developed in a really top class striker who had it all. A terrific shot in either foot, he was a good header of the ball, very light on his feet for a big man with a good change of pace. He had a trick or two in his game, I'm sure I saw him do that " Cryuff Turn " before Cryuff. On his day he was unstoppable, as other people have said second only to Shearer in my estimation of Rovers strikers. He could beat a player running at them with the ball at his feet, I don't recall that being part of Shearers game, he was more about running past or through opponents.

So many great memories of Fred, I was gutted when he left to sign for Everton. We spent the next ten years and all the record fee we received trying to replace him with inferior players. It was his leaving that started the rot that led to Rovers being relegated in the 1965-66 season and our slide down the Divisions.

RIP Fred and thanks for the memories.

 

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

17 hours ago, den said:

Can’t believe it. Another part of me dies. That just leaves Duggie and Mike Ferguson. 

RIP Fred. One of the best we’ve had, only bettered by Shearer in my lifetime.

Aren't Mick McGrath and Mike England also still alive of the members of that great team ?

[den]

30 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Aren't Mick McGrath and Mike England also still alive of the members of that great team ?

I was meaning from that forward line of Ferguson, McEvoy, Pickering, Douglas and Harrison Tyrone.

[AllRoverAsia]

RIP Fred Pickering, sincere condolences to all his family.

I was lucky enough to see Fred emerge at Rovers and become a great striker. I feel priviledged.

I came across this on the Everton website, which endorses what we at Rovers knew. A good article.

http://www.evertonfc.com/news/2019/02/09/null

[RevidgeBlue]

On 09/02/2019 at 22:06, den said:

Couldn’t resist.

 

As others have said, fantastic picture of Fred and the old Riverside. I'd wager the original was snapped by Wally Talbot.

What a fantastic strip that is as well. We could do a lot worse than that now as opposed to some of the monstrosities we've been subjected to including this season's version.

Proper shade of blue that.

 

[AllRoverAsia]

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2019/february/dougies-tribute-to-fred-pickering/