Freddie Williams (businessman)

Freddie "Fearless" Sidney Williams (28 October 1942 – 21 June 2008) was a Scottish businessman and bookmaker. Born in the Ayrshire mining village of Cumnock, he was spared a career as a miner due to ill health at the age of 15 and went on to work for local soft drinks company Currys. Following a successful management buyout, and subsequent sale, Williams became a millionaire.

It was at Currys that he first took to gambling. For years he was a boomaker's-runner, before taking up his first bookmaking pitch at Auchinleck Greyhound Track.

In 1974 Freddie bought his first horseracing bookmaking pitch at Ayr Racecourse. He subsequently went on purchase pitches, including Irvine Racecourse, Hamilton Park Racecourse, Musselburgh Racecourse, Perth Racecourse and Cheltenham Racecourse. He also owned a pitch at Shawfield dogs track in Glasgow. At the time of his death, Freddie owned a total of 11

As business grew, Freddie Williams Bookmakers grew to a chain of 7 bookmaking shops. As of June 2008, this had been slimmed down to two, one in either of his hometowns, Cumnock and Auchinleck.

Williams' interests in the soft drinks market continued following the termination of his interests in Currys. In 1992 he set up Caledonian Bottlers in Netherthird, Cumnock. A successful operation, Caledonian bottle premium branded drinks such as Smirnoff Ice. At one time Williams also operated Caledonian Clear, his own premium bottled water brand from the same factory. In April 2002, the Sunday Mail reported Williams as being a “boss from hell”. Following his death, Williams 50,000 shares in the bottling operation were valued at over £4.5 million.

He is also the owner of 76 St Vincent Street, an Italian restaurant in Glasgow. He originally bought the restaurant in 2004 to deter his daughters from joining him in the betting industry. The business was not to be successful and was eventually liquidated.

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