A player with blistering acceleration that could step off both feet, he had good hands, a smart kicking game, was a cunning tactician complimented by the unusual combination of being an exceptional defender for a small man.
The Enfield Federals were such a dominant side they went undefeated for seven years, and ironically lost their one and only game, the 1965 Grand Final which was Pickup's last ever match for the club.
During the Federals reign they quickly ran out of opponents, having to play up an age group to get a game and eventually had to shift to other Junior Leagues (Balmain, Newtown) to be accommodated.
[3] With his passport full of stamps after exploring Europe and the Middle East, Pickup and friends eventually found their way to England, where he was spotted playing touch football in a London park, and was recommended for a trial with legendary club, St. Helens RLFC.
A lifelong boxing fanatic, Pickup also tracked down his boyhood hero Sugar Ray Robinson and would follow him and his entourage on their daily run through Central Park.
With club stalwart Ross Warner, Keith Harris and the dynamic Bruce Walker in the forwards, and the rock hard playing surface itself, North Sydney Oval quickly became a formidable and dreaded place to visit.
Although Norths fortunes improved during Tim's short time as a Bear, they never made the final five playoff series and hovered around the middle of the ladder, when coached by the great Noel Kelly from 1972 to 1974.
Pickup was chosen for City Seconds then played two games for New South Wales (NSW #664), he made the Australian team (#462) alongside Norths teammate George Ambrum.
When first chosen for the Australian team, Pickup gave his first jersey to his Bears halves partner Keith Outten in recognition of his contribution to achieving the sports highest honour and his childhood dream.
Tim played two Tests against New Zealand in 1972 partnering Tommy Raudonikis in the halves, and 'Ímmortal' Bob Fulton in the centres, a combination which was regularly used by selectors over the next four seasons.
Tim Pickup was the only North Sydney Bears player chosen in the 26 man squad when he toured Europe with the 1973 Kangaroos, captain-coached by 'Immortal' Graeme Langlands.
His tough training regime set the tone for Canterbury's team, giving them a physical and mental edge and a template that has been replicated by future Bulldogs squads right up until the present day.
Tim was first choice five-eighth for all representative games for City, State and for Australia, but that momentum came crashing to a halt when he severely injured his knee in a World Cup match against England at the Sydney Cricket Ground in June of that season.
He proved his fitness after a few games and was back in the top squad but his speed and quickness was zapped, and he was forced to adapt to a different style of play to the one that built his reputation.
Tim would share captain duties with Bob McCarthy and George Peponis for the rest of the season and the team would finish out of final five contention in 7th place.
Tim would play one further First Grade game in the 1979 season, he was devastated at the demotion but would excel in his mentoring role of the next generation of pups who graduated to be Bulldog superstars over the next decade.
Steve Mortimer states as much in his biography "Top Dog", devoting a chapter to the issue, with the title 'Toughened by Tim (Pickup) Tom (Raudonikis) and Terry (Lamb).'
He was obsessed with Olympic competition or any elite sports and their athletes such as Bjorn Borg vs John McEnroe in tennis, Alain Prost vs Ayrton Senna in Formula One, Marvin Hagler vs Thomas Hearns, Roberto Duran and Sugar Ray Leonard in Boxing, Jack Nicklaus in golf.
Pickup and Cooper began running during their football careers to enhance their fitness, when their teams schedules allowed and ran the trails of Lane Cove National Park during summer.
As Tim's troubled knee deteriorated he continued to run relentlessly timed 600m laps of Manly First Grade Cricket Clubs' training ground, Graham Reserve.
Dave Cooper was Canterbury's trainer from 1975 to 1992, during the tenure of First Grade Coaches Malcolm Clift 1975–1977, and Ted Glossop 1978–1983, Warren Ryan 1984–1987, Phil Gould 1988–1989, and Pickup's former Bulldogs, NSW and Australian teammate, Chris Anderson 1990–1992.
After a 1995 detour to Super League as CEO of the now defunct Adelaide Rams, Pickup, fueled by a Rupert Murdoch 'golden handshake,' never worked another day and went on safari.
Tim spent entire year of 1997 marauding the African Continent, he even made a habit of watching his favourite middle-distance runner, mens 10 000 metre Olympic Champion Haile Gebrselassie prepare and train in his native Ethiopia.
Pickup's connection to the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs lasted nearly 50 years until his death in 2021, the comradery with teammates and coaches gave him immense satisfaction and lifelong friendships.
When Peter Moore decided to stand down from his post as Chief Executive of Canterbury in the mid-1990s, he offered the CEO position to Tim Pickup, who in turn declined for personal reasons.
He was one of a host of former Bulldogs players such as Clive Gartner, George Peponis and Terry Lamb among others, assembled to restore pride in the jersey after the former regime nearly crippled the club.
Unprecedented NRL penalties included a record fine ($500K) and deduction of competition points (37) that sent the team from first to last and claim the wooden spoon, on the back of 17 straight victories.
Grateful for the assistance, Harding walked into the ring for the gold medal bout wearing a Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs jersey, minus the required Australian tracksuit.
Harding lost the bout and had to settle for a silver medal, and was told in no uncertain terms by officials that he had better turn professional as he had just fought his last fight as amateur, as far as they were concerned.
What ensued was that of a fairy tale, Harding came from behind on points to win in the most dramatic of fashions, knocking Andries down three times in the 12th and final round before the referee stopped the contest, showing mercy to the former champion.