Gregor Abel
Personal information
Date of birth (1949-04-09) 9 April 1949 (age 74)
Position(s) Defender
Youth career
Bo'ness United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1969–1972 Falkirk 70 (0)
1972–1980 Clydebank 235 (0)
1980–1981 Alloa Athletic 25 (0)
Total 330 (0)
Managerial career
1983–1984 Falkirk
1987–1990 Alloa Athletic
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Gregor Abel (born 9 April 1949)[1] is a Scottish former football player and manager. Abel played for Falkirk, Clydebank and Alloa Athletic.

After retiring as a player, he became a coach at Alloa Athletic and then Falkirk, assisting Alex Totten.[1][2] Abel was appointed Falkirk manager in November 1983, after Totten left the club to become assistant manager of Rangers.[2] He resigned in February 1984 due to the pressures of combining that job with working as a schoolteacher.[1] Abel assisted Jim Leishman as Dunfermline Athletic rose from the Scottish Second Division to the Scottish Premier Division with successive promotions in 1985–86 and 1986–87.[3] Abel left Dunfermline in July 1987 after the club converted to fully professional status, however, because he wanted to retain part-time status and continue his teaching career.[3]

After leaving Dunfermline, Abel became assistant manager of Forfar Athletic.[4] Later that year, Abel was appointed manager of Alloa Athletic. The club won a promotion under his management[5] and reached the quarter-finals of the 1988–89 Scottish Cup.[6] Abel was sacked by Alloa Athletic in February 1990 as the club struggled in the Scottish First Division, having won promotion the season before.[7]

Abel then worked as a reserve team and youth coach for Aberdeen for eight years. He then had five years with Rangers as a youth coach. He continued to teach at Alva Academy until his retirement in 2006.

References

  1. ^ a b c Traynor, Jim (14 February 1984). "Pressure too much for Abel". The Herald. Herald & Times Group. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
  2. ^ a b Traynor, Jim (19 November 1983). "Totten leaves behind an able replacement manager". The Herald. Herald & Times Group. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
  3. ^ a b "Falco may be on the bench". The Herald. Herald & Times Group. 21 July 1987. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
  4. ^ Reynolds, Jim (29 July 1987). "Walker hits treble as Celtic tame Swedes". The Herald. Herald & Times Group. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
  5. ^ Sutherland, Bill (15 May 1989). "By the left, Alloa march on". The Herald. Herald & Times Group. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
  6. ^ Traynor, Jim (24 February 1989). "Scottish Cup saga is working to advantage of Rangers – McLean". The Herald. Herald & Times Group. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
  7. ^ McKinlay, Hugh (3 February 1990). "Bad-boy Kasule suffers the wrath of Lambie". The Herald. Herald & Times Group. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
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