Born in
Eltham, London, Pyke played for Woolwich, Kent and London as a schoolboy. He played for UGB Pantiles, a club based in
Blackheath which was associated with the
United Glass Bottle company, during the
1953–54 season. He joined West Ham United as part of the ground staff in 1953 and progressed as a youth team player. He signed professional forms in March 1955. Pyke was a member of
Ted Fenton's side which won the
1957–58 Second Division. He was drafted into the team after
Malcolm Allison contracted tuberculosis in September 1957, playing alongside
Ken Brown and sharing the number 6 shirt with
Bill Lansdowne. His run in the team included an
FA Cup third-round match against a
Blackpool side which featured
Stanley Matthews, with Pyke setting up a goal for
John Dick in a 5–1 win. He made 21 competitive appearances that season, including 15 in the League. He totalled 24 appearances for "The Hammers" before moving to Crystal Palace on 9 June 1959 in exchange for
Ron Brett. His Palace career was even shorter and amounted to only two games before he moved to
Dartford, in June 1960. ==After football==