Gregor Abel

Scottish footballer and manager

Gregor Abel
Personal information
Date of birth (1949-04-09) 9 April 1949 (age 75)
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.
  • v
  • t
  • e
Falkirk F.C.managers
  • Nicol (1905–24)
  • Reid (1924–27)
  • Richardson (1927–32)
  • Orr (1932–35)
  • Craig (1935–50)
  • Shankly (1950–56)
  • McPhiec (1956–57)
  • R. Smith (1957–59)
  • Younger (1959–60)
  • McCrae (1960–65)
  • Kean (1965–66)
  • Prentice (1966–68)
  • Rowanc (1968)
  • Cunningham (1968–1972)
  • Prentice (1973–75)
  • McKenziec (1975)
  • G. Miller (1975–77)
  • Little (1977–79)
  • Hagart (1979–82)
  • Benniec (1982)
  • Totten (1982–83)
  • Abel (1983–84)
  • Shawc (1984)
  • Lamont (1984–87)
  • Clarke (1987–88)
  • Duffy (1988–89)
  • Sullivanc (1989)
  • Lamont (1989–90)
  • Sullivanc (1990)
  • Jefferies (1990–95)
  • Lambie (1995–96)
  • Collinsc (1996)
  • Bannon (1996)
  • Totten (1996–2002)
  • McCall (2002–03)
  • Coyle & Hughes (2003)
  • Hughes (2003–09)
  • May (2009–10)
  • Pressley (2010–13)
  • A. Smithc (2013)
  • Holt (2013–14)
  • Houston (2014–17)
  • A. Smithc (2017)
  • Hartley (2017–18)
  • McKinnon (2018–19)
  • McCracken & L. Miller (2019–21)
  • Holtc (2021)
  • Sheerin (2021)
  • Graingerc (2021)
  • Rennie (2021–22)
  • K. Millerc (2022)
  • McGlynn (2022–)
(c) = caretaker manager
  • v
  • t
  • e
Alloa Athletic F.C.managers
  • McStay (1938–40)
  • Crapnell (1945–46)
  • Lipton (1946–47)
  • Simpson (1947–48)
  • Hogg (1948–49)
  • Lipton (1949–51)
  • McCulloch (1951–52)
  • Lees (1952–55)
  • Kerr (1955–59)
  • McPherson (1959–69)
  • McCallum (1969–71)
  • Crawford (1971–72)
  • McLindon (1972–74)
  • Wilson (1974–80)
  • Totten (1980–82)
  • Garner (1982–84)
  • Thomson (1984–86)
  • Sullivan (1986–87)
  • Abel (1987–90)
  • Little (1990)
  • McCann (1990–93)
  • Lamont (1993–95)
  • McAuley (1995–96)
  • Hendrie (1996–98)
  • Christie (1999–2003)
  • Hendrie (2003–06)
  • Maitland (2006–11)
  • Hartley (2011–14)
  • Smith (2014–15)
  • Lennon (2015)
  • Ross (2015–16)
  • Goodwin (2016–19)
  • Grant (2019–21)
  • Ferguson (2021–22)
  • Rice (2022–23)
  • Graham (2023–)