Lionel Pickering

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Lionel Victor Pickering (March 5, 1932 - September 2, 2006) was a newspaper mogul and the owner of Derby County Football Club in Derby, England from 1991 to 2003.

[edit] Biography

Pickering was a self-made millionaire who made his fortune primarily from his empire of local free newspapers and the advertising revenue generated from them.

In 1991 Pickering purchased the Derby County Football Club for just over £1 million in 1991 from Robert Maxwell and invested heavily in players over the next two years, spending nearly £10 million^{[citation needed]}.

In January 1992, with Arthur Cox's low budget team just in touch with the leading pack, Pickering embarked on a spending increase, the biggest in the club's history, with the £1m signing of Marco Gabbiadini from Crystal Palace^{[citation needed]}. Joining him in that season were Paul Kitson, Tommy Johnson & Paul Simpson, followed by Steve Sutton, Mark Pembridge, Darren Wassall, Craig Short & Martin Kuhl a year later.

In 1995, Pickering appointed Jim Smith in order to change the club's fortunes. With a string of superb signings and the hiring of future England coach Steve McClaren as assistant manager, Smith took the the Derby Club to the top level of competition in his first season.

Pickering put the Derby County Club at the forefront of English football by building Pride Park Stadium while many other clubs were still thinking about similar moves. Lionel also presided over the development of the academy for young footballers at Moor Farm.

As the club's fortunes levelled off and subsequently began to slump, there was a moderate amount of disquiet amongst fans. Lionel went onto Radio Derby and said: "if you can do better, where's your money - and if you don't like it, go and watch Forest".

Supporters were angered by this incident; which was the catalyst for poor relations between Lionel and many Derby Fans.

In October 2003, Derby County's parent company, Derby County Limited, briefly went into liquidation and Lionel Pickering, the majority shareholder gave way to a new board of John Sleightholme, Jeremy Keith and Steve Harding, who bought the club for £3.^{[citation needed]}

Derby finished 20th in the 2003-2004 First Division campaign, but improved dramatically in the 2004-2005 season and finished 4th in the Football League Championship (the new name for the Football League First Division) and qualified for a promotion play-off spot, losing in the semi-finals to Preston North End.

Lionel Pickering died of cancer in the Derbyshire Royal Infirmary on Saturday, 2 September 2006, aged 74. He leaves three sons, William, Benjamin and Matthew. A one minute's applause at Derby County's following home game against Sunderland on Saturday, 9th September, 2006 was held; followed by a memorial service at Derby Cathedral on Tuesday, 26th September 2006. At the request of Mr Pickering's family, attendees were asked to come dressed in Derby County shirts.

It is also believed that the new Chairman, Peter Gadsby, wants to leave a permanent memorial to Lionel Pickering at Pride Park Stadium.