On 10th March 1964, Fred Pickering joined Everton from Blackburn for £85,000. At the time of the transfer, it was both a record fee for Everton and for a transfer between two English clubs, eclipsing the £60,000 Everton spent on Tony Kay from Sheffield Wednesday in December 1962. However, Pickering was not short of interest. At the start of 1964, it was reported that Leeds made a joint £120,000 bid for Pickering and Mike England, and just before the transfer, he was linked with a move to Tottenham, Manchester United, Sunderland and Wolves. But he decided to go to Everton.
