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
editWilliams 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 tiers of British Speedway, starting with Birmingham Brummies in 1948.[4] He rode primarily for Wembley Lions,[5] 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.[6] He also averaged 9.66 and 9.79 in 1953 and 1954 respectively.[7]
World Final appearances
editIndividual World Championship
edit- 1951 –
London, Wembley Stadium – 12th - 6pts - 1953 – London, Wembley Stadium – 13th - 4pts
- 1955 – London, Wembley Stadium – 4th - 12+1pts
Family
editHis two brothers, Freddie Williams and Ian Williams were also speedway riders, Freddie was a double World champion.[8][9]
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.
- ^ "Little Eric is big speed find". Daily Mirror. 23 January 1948. Retrieved 5 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Cornish Stadium speedway". Newquay Express and Cornwall County Chronicle. 1 May 1952. Retrieved 5 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.