Josh Pickering

Josh Pickering
Born (1996-11-30) 30 November 1996 (age 27)
Heddon Greta, New South Wales, Australia
NationalityAustralian
Career history
Great Britain
2017–2024Edinburgh
2021, 2023–2024Sheffield
2022–2023King's Lynn
Poland
2023–2024Gniezno
Denmark
2023Region Varde
Individual honours
2024Championship Riders' Champion
Team honours
2023SGB Premiership
2024Premiership Knockout Cup

Joshua Pickering (born 30 November 1996) is an Australian motorcycle speedway rider.[1][2]

Career

[edit]

He began his British speedway career riding for Edinburgh in 2017.[3][4] He began his championship average at the assessed 5.00[5] and completed the season with the fifth-highest average of 4.62.[6] By the end of the 2019 season, despite a mid-season injury at Birmingham,[7] his average for the Monarchs was past his assessed average and had reached 6.98.[8] Pickering, however, criticized the Championship league structure as unfair on riders from other countries due to its reduction in their number of matches completed by each team.[9]

While still riding for the Monarchs in the Championship in mid-2021, the Sheffield Tigers signed Pickering for their Premiership team. Co-promoter Damien Bates remarked at the time, "[I]t’s a surprise he’s not had a Premiership place before," replacing then-team member Justin Sedgmen.[10]

Pickering signed for the King's Lynn Stars ahead of the 2022 Premiership Season.[11] During the 2022 season, he rode for the King's Lynn in the SGB Premiership 2022 and for Edinburgh in the SGB Championship 2022.[12]

In 2023, he re-signed for King's Lynn for the SGB Premiership 2023 and remained the team captain but suffered injuries and later switched to Sheffield.[13] The switch proved successful as he helped Sheffield win the league title.[14] He also re-signed for Edinburgh for the SGB Championship 2023.[15]

In 2024, he re-signed for Sheffield and Edinburgh respectively,[16] winning the Knockout Cup with the Tigers.[17]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Speedway riders, history and results". wwosbackup. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  2. ^ "Ultimate Rider Index, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  3. ^ "Pickering, Joshua (Josh)". British Speedway. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  4. ^ "Josh Pickering". Edinburgh Speedway. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  5. ^ "2017 SGBC Team Declarations and Green Sheets Issue 1" (PDF). SpeedwayGB Archive. 24 March 2017. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  6. ^ "2017 SGB Chamionship [sic] League Green Sheets - Final Issue" (PDF). SpeedwayGB Archive. 28 September 2017. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  7. ^ "Blow for Edinburgh Monarchs woe after Josh Pickering injury update". www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  8. ^ "2019 SGBC Team Declarations and Green Sheets – Issue 34 Final Averages" (PDF). SpeedwayGB Archive. 30 October 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  9. ^ "Edinburgh Monarchs' Josh Pickering hits out speedway's Championship format". www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  10. ^ "Tigers Pick Up Pickering". British Speedway. 9 July 2021. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  11. ^ "Stars Pick Josh". SpeedwayGB Archive. 21 January 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  12. ^ "British Speedway rider profile". British Speedway. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  13. ^ "KK back as Stars complete". British Speedway. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
  14. ^ "Tigers champions in Grand Final drama". British Speedway. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  15. ^ "Pickering back for Monarchs". British Speedway. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  16. ^ "Tigers up to five". British Speedway. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  17. ^ "Speedway: Sheffield battle back to draw at Ipswich and lift KO Cup". The Star. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
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