LES PICKING

Another of the Barnet Football Club family has sadly passed away - Les Picking

LES PICKING

After the news of Ian Fusedale yesterday, sadly another of the Barnet family has passed away recently -
Les Picking.

Les played left or right half back at Underhill during the early 1960's when the club won the Athenian League twice and a Southern League Division One. He made 286 appearances between 1961 and 1967 scoring 12 times.
Born in North London in April 1943 he arrived at Barnet from Hertford Town in the summer of 1961 still a teenager and made his debut on the 21st August in a team alongside Reggie Finch, Roy Drake and Alf and Dennis D'Arcy. He received three England amateur international caps and toured the far east with the Middlesex Wanderers. The Barnet half back line of Les Picking, Dennis Roach and Barrie King picked it self for two seasons and was one our finest of all time.
Les Eason says, “Les made me very welcome as a raw 19 year old when I signed for Barnet, we would share his car for training and matchdays”. Les retained his amateur status when the club turned professional. He was best man for the wedding of another Barnet player from the era, Alf Covington. “Les was the fixer and negotiator of the team along with Dennis Roach and Terry Casey. He was a canny fella, all the team benefited from his initiative. He set up home in Buntingford” says Alf.

He left Barnet at the end of 1967 when he became player- manager of Cheshunt and steered them to success in the Spartan League. Alongside him were his Barnet buddies goalkeeper Brian Goymer and Roger Quinton. He joined St Albans City in 1971 and won an FA Vase medal in 1975 with Hoddlesdon Town who beat Epson and Ewell in the final at Wembley

I assure you his passing was not related to Covid 19 as Les had been poorly for some time, wheelchair bound with Parkinsons and living in a care home in Ware but always spoke fondly of his time at Barnet. He passed away on April 8th aged 75, He leaves a wife Linda.
I am sure everyone who knew or watched Les at Underhill will send their sympathies to the family and friends.

All I can say is much as it is a privilege to have got to know so many players from the past, and I wont stop, but I have written too many of these eulogies recently, however the more I talk to and meet with these guys it comes across very strongly that the club created a fantastic comradeship among players in the 1960's and 70's.
Stay safe
Reckless