Gregor Abel

Gregor Abel
Personal information
Date of birth	9 April 1949 (age 75)
Position(s)	Defender
Youth career
	Bo'ness United
Senior career*
Years	Team
1969–1972	Falkirk
1972–1980	Clydebank
1980–1981	Alloa Athletic
Total
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

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