Career
Born in Egremont, Cumberland, he started his career playing local league football with his hometown club, before joining Football League Third Division North side Nelson as an amateur on 1 January 1927. Pickering was awarded a professional contract five days later, and remained at Nelson for a further two months but he did not make another senior appearance for the Lancashire club and returned to Egremont in March 1927. His stay was brief, however, as he transferred to nearby Parton Athletic in the summer of the same year.
