William Davidson Bowie (born 2 February 1966 in
Stewarton
Stewarton (,
, Ayrshire
) is a Scottish businessman who is currently owner and majority shareholder of
Scottish Premiership
The Scottish Premiership, also known as the William Hill (bookmaker), William Hill Premiership for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Scotland and the highest level of the Scottish football league system. Th ...
football club
In association football, a football club (or association football club, alternatively soccer club) is a sports club that acts as an entity through which association football teams organise their sporting activities. The club can exist either as ...
Kilmarnock F.C. and managing director of Billy Bowie Tankers Ltd.
Career
Billy Bowie Tankers Ltd.
On 17 April 1997, Bowie was appointed company director of the company he established in 1991,
Billy Bowie Tankers Ltd, a company that undertakes the collection and treatment of non-hazardous waste.
Since the companies establishment in 1991, Billy Bowie Tankers Ltd. has opened a number of branches throughout the United Kingdom, including in
Widnes
Widnes ( ) is an Industrial city, industrial town in the Borough of Halton, Cheshire, England, which at the 2021–2022 United Kingdom censuses, 2021 census had a population of 62,400.
Historic counties of England, Historically in Lancashire, ...
and
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, situated south of Leeds and east of Manchester. The city is the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire and some of its so ...
.
As of 2021, the company operates depots covering 90% of the United Kingdom.
Kilmarnock F.C.
In 1997, Bowie's company, Billy Bowie Tankers, started sponsoring local football club
Kilmarnock F.C., after Bowie personally sponsored the club for a number of years.
In 2013, Bowie was appointed to the board of directors of Kilmarnock Football Club.
Upon his appointment to the board, Bowie sought to end the conflict between then club owner Michael Johnston and the club’s fans by investing £1.3 million into the club.
In 2019, Michael Johnston sold his remaining shares in the club to Bowie, making Bowie the main shareholder and the club’s owner.
It was revealed in 2021 that, under Bowie's ownership, the club had been forced to apply to the
Scottish Government
The Scottish Government (, ) is the executive arm of the devolved government of Scotland. It was formed in 1999 as the Scottish Executive following the 1997 referendum on Scottish devolution, and is headquartered at St Andrew's House in ...
for a loan sum of £1 million as the club are expected to post a seven-figure loss as a result of the effects of the
Covid-19 pandemic in Scotland
The COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland is part of the COVID-19 pandemic of COVID-19, coronavirus disease-2019, caused by the virus Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, SARS-CoV-2. The first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Scotland on 1 M ...
.
Personal life
Bowie currently resides in
Stewarton
Stewarton (,
,
East Ayrshire
East Ayrshire (; ) is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland. It shares borders with Dumfries and Galloway, East Renfrewshire, North Ayrshire, South Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire. The headquarters of the council are located on London Roa ...
.
See also
*
Kilmarnock F.C.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bowie, Billy
Living people
1966 births
People from Stewarton
Scottish businesspeople