William Eric Williams (17 November 1927 – 24 July 2009) was a motorcycle speedway rider from Wales.[1] With no Welsh team to represent, he earned 23 international caps for the England national speedway team.[2]
| Born | 17 November 1927 Taibach, Port Talbot, Wales |
|---|---|
| Died | 24 July 2009 (aged 81) Mackay, Queensland, Australia |
| Nationality | British (Welsh) |
| Career history | |
| 1948 | Birmingham Brummies |
| 1949 | Cradley Heathens |
| 1950-1955 | Wembley Lions |
| 1960-1961 | New Cross Rangers |
| 1962 | Norwich Stars |
| Individual honours | |
| 1951, 1953, 1955 | Speedway World Championship finalist |
| Team honours | |
| 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953 | League Champion |
| 1954 | National Trophy Winner |
| 1950, 1951, 1954 | London Cup |
Speedway career edit
Williams was a leading speedway rider in the 1950s. He reached the final of the Speedway World Championship on three occasions in the 1951 Individual Speedway World Championship, 1953 Individual Speedway World Championship and 1955 Individual Speedway World Championship.[3]
Williams rode in the top tier of British Speedway, riding primarily for Wembley Lions,[4] where he achieved great success as part of the Wembley team that dominated British speedway from 1950 to 1953. With them he won three National League titles, a national Trophy and three London Cups.[5] He also averaged 9.66 and 9.79 in 1953 and 1954 respectively.[6]
World Final appearances edit
Individual World Championship edit
- 1951 –
London, Wembley Stadium – 12th - 6pts - 1953 – London, Wembley Stadium – 13th - 4pts
- 1955 – London, Wembley Stadium – 4th - 12+1pts
Family edit
His two brothers, Freddie Williams and Ian Williams were also speedway riders, Freddie was a double World champion.[7]
References edit
- ^ "WORLD INDIVIDUAL FINAL - RIDER INDEX". British Speedway. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
- ^ "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
- ^ "World Speedway finals" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
- ^ "History Archive". British Speedway. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
- ^ Oakes, Peter (1978). 1978 Speedway Yearbook. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. ISBN 978-0904584509.
- ^ "Rider averages 1929 to 2009" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
- ^ "The Williams brothers". Defunct Speedway. Retrieved 5 July 2021.