Gregor Abel

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.