• Source: Freddie Williams (speedway rider)

Frederick Owen Williams (12 March 1926 – 20 January 2013) was a motorcycle speedway rider from Wales who was World Champion on two occasions. He was the winner of the Speedway World Championship in 1950 and 1953 and runner-up in 1952. With no Welsh team to represent, he earned 28 international caps for the England national speedway team.




Career


Williams grew up in Port Talbot, where he was a classmate of Richard Burton, and they played together in the school rugby team. In 1941 he moved to Portsmouth where he started an apprenticeship in the dockyards as an engineer-fitter. He was a despatch rider in World War II, and began his speedway career as the war ended, after initially competing in grasstrack. After attending training sessions at Rye House, he was signed by Alec Jackson for the Wembley Lions and in 1948 got a regular place in the team after injuries to George Wilks and Bill Kitchen.
Williams rode for the Wembley Lions for his entire career, from 1947 until 1956. Williams became the first British rider to win two World titles (in 1950 and 1953), a feat only matched by Peter Craven (in 1955 and 1962) and Tai Woffinden (2013, 2015, 2018).
Williams represented England in test match series, gaining his first cap in 1949.
In 1953, he married Olympic skater Pat Devries. His two younger brothers, Ian Williams and Eric Williams, were also speedway riders, and Freddie acted as Ian's mechanic at the 1957 World Final.
Williams presented the winner's trophy to Australian rider Chris Holder at the 2012 Speedway Grand Prix of Great Britain held at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Like Williams, Holder would go on to become the World Champion at the end of the 2012 Speedway Grand Prix season. Williams finished second behind (Jack Young in the 1952 World Final at Wembley Stadium.
Williams died on 20 January 2013, aged 86, in the Great Western Hospital in Swindon following a stroke the previous day.
Williams is the only Welshman, to win speedway's ultimate individual prize.




World Final appearances


1950 - London, Wembley Stadium - Winner - 14pts
1951 - London, Wembley Stadium - 9th - 7pts
1952 - London, Wembley Stadium - 2nd - 13pts
1953 - London, Wembley Stadium - Winner - 14pts
1954 - London, Wembley Stadium - Res - Did not ride




Grasstrack racing


Southern Centre Champion 1948.




References






External links


Freddie Williams at BBC Oxford
Freddie Williams interview at BBC Oxford

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• Daftar permainan arkade
• Freddie Williams (speedway rider)
• Freddie Williams
• Fred Williams
• Freddy (given name)
• Eric Williams (speedway rider)
• Ian Williams (speedway rider)
• Leo McAuliffe
• 1950 Individual Speedway World Championship
• 1952 Individual Speedway World Championship
• 1953 Individual Speedway World Championship