Former All Whites goalkeeper Barry Pickering has been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the King’s Birthday honours list.
Pickering (64) played 20 internationals for New Zealand and was member of the 1982 World Cup squad, the first national side to qualify for the finals of the tournament.
After playing more than 200 national league games for Stop Out, Christchurch United and Miramar Rangers, he coached senior and junior teams, for school and at the Petone club, and also coached goalkeepers.
Main photo: Barry Pickering, MNZM for services to football. Photo: Petone AFC.
In its citation for granting him Life Membership in 2006, the Petone club said:
“We were always very proud that Barry was only the second born and bred Petone junior to play for New Zealand, (after Tony Evans).
“The fact that he had to leave our club to achieve the level of football required to sustain national selection never lessened our pride in his success.
“In a similar vein, it was straight back to our club for him when injury curtailed his days of national representation.”
Pickering has devoted almost 30 years to administration and leadership at Petone, serving on the committee, as the club’s chair (1999-2003) and as its long-serving club secretary.
He’s been the club’s gear officer for more than 20 years, led fundraising projects and maintained the club’s statistics.
Pickering has organised the Hilton-Petone Tournament for 25 years.
He was inducted into the Hutt City Sports Legends in 2014, followed by induction to the Wellington Football Hall of Fame in 2015.
In April 2023, Pickering was made a Life Member of Capital Football, in recognition of his service to the sport in the region.