Pickering: William Henry (Bill)

WW2 Guest: 1944-1945 (Leeds United War-time Guest Player Details)

Left Back

Born: Sheffield: 10-12-1919

Debut: v Sunderland (h): 09-09-1944

Height & Weight: Unknown

An England Amateur International, Pickering joined his local club, Second Division Sheffield Wednesday, in October 1937 and made his debut in the Sheffield derby in a 0-0 draw at Bramall Lane at Left Back and went on to play three League appearances in 1938-39 before the Second World War brought the Football League fixtures to a temporary end. He played for Wednesday whenever available in the War Years and made six appearances in 1939-40, twenty-nine in 1940-41, seven in 1943-44, thirty-four in 1944-45 and thirty in 1945-46, a total of one hundred and twenty-eight games but never scored a goal. During the War he guested with Leeds United in the 1944-45 Football League Northern Section (First Championship). He played two games in consecutive weeks both at Left Back against Sunderland. The first was in a 0-1 defeat at Elland Road on 9th September 1944 and the second was in a 1-5 loss at Roker Park the following weekend. After the War he returned to Hillsborough but did not play a League game, although he did play in all six F.A. Cup ties in the 1945-46 season, the last of which was at Hillsborough in a 0-0 against Stoke City on 11th February 1946. He left Wednesday for Third Division North Oldham Athletic in July 1948. He was a regular at Boundary Park playing seventy-eight League games and nine F.A. Cup ties in two seasons before playing out his career with Non-League Gainsborough Trinity. He died in 1983.