Ian Williams (speedway rider)

Ian Williams
Born(1931-08-04)4 August 1931
Port Talbot, Wales
NationalityBritish (Welsh)
Career history
1952-1963Swindon Robins
Individual honours
1957Speedway World Championship finalist
Team honours
1957National League Champion
1956National League Div Two Champion

Ian Williams (born 4 August 1931) is a former motorcycle speedway rider from Wales.[1][2] With no Welsh team to represent, he earned eight international caps for the England national speedway team.[3]

Speedway career

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Williams was a leading speedway rider in the 1950s. He reached the final of the Speedway World Championship in the 1957 Individual Speedway World Championship.[4]

He rode in the top tier of British Speedway from 1957 to 1963, riding for Swindon Robins[5] and became the club captain.[6]

Individual World Championship

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Family

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His two brothers, Freddie Williams and Eric Williams were also speedway riders, Freddie was a double World champion and acted as Ian's mechanic during the 1957 final.[7][8]

References

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  1. ^ "WORLD INDIVIDUAL FINAL - RIDER INDEX". British Speedway. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  2. ^ "LEGENDS: IAN WILLIAMS". Swindon Speedway. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  3. ^ "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  4. ^ "World Speedway finals" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  5. ^ "History Archive". British Speedway. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  6. ^ "Swindon outclass Coventry". Birmingham Weekly Mercury. 4 August 1957. Retrieved 5 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ^ "The Williams brothers". Defunct Speedway. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  8. ^ "Cornish Stadium speedway". Newquay Express and Cornwall County Chronicle. 1 May 1952. Retrieved 5 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.