Gerry McCabe

{{short description|Scottish footballer and coach}}

{{For|the member of the Garda Síochána|Jerry McCabe}}

{{Use British English|date=July 2013}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2023}}

{{lead too short|date=November 2012}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Gerry McCabe

| image =

| fullname =

| height =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1956|9|26|df=y}}

| birth_place = Hamilton, Scotland

| currentclub =

| position = Midfielder

| youthyears1 = 1975–1977 | youthclubs1 = Hibernian

| years1 = 1977–1980 | caps1 = 96 | goals1 = 14 | clubs1 = Clyde

| years2 = 1980–1986 | caps2 = 216 | goals2 = 21 | clubs2 = Clydebank

| years3 = 1986–1988 | caps3 = 65 | goals3 = 9 | clubs3 = Hamilton Academical

| years4 = 1987 | caps4 = 6 | goals4 = 1 | clubs4 = → Dumbarton (loan)

| years5 = 1988–1990 | caps5 = 61 | goals5 = 7 | clubs5 = Clyde

| years6 = 1990 | caps6 = 20 | goals6 = 7 | clubs6 = Victoria Vistas

| years7 = 1990–1991 | caps7 = 16 | goals7 = 0 | clubs7 = Hamilton Academical

| years8 = 1991–1993 | caps8 = 63 | goals8 = 2 | clubs8 = Cork City

| years9 = 1993–1995 | caps9 = | goals9 = | clubs9 = Glentoran

| years10= 1995–1996 | caps10 = 19 | goals10= 0 | clubs10 = Arbroath

| years11= 1996–1997 | caps11= 4 | goals11= 0 | clubs11= Dumbarton

| totalcaps = 483 | totalgoals = 52

| manageryears1 = 2004

| managerclubs1 = Hibernian (caretaker)

| manageryears2 = 2006–2007

| managerclubs2 = Dumbarton

}}

Gerry McCabe (born 26 September 1956) is a Scottish football player and coach.

Playing career

McCabe had a lengthy playing career that lasted almost two decades.{{cite web |publisher=Dunfermline Athletic F.C. official website |access-date=9 October 2010 |title=Gerry McCabe Profile |url=http://www.dafc.co.uk/articles/20080131/gerry-mccabe-profile_2208036_1230513 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100307181107/http://www.dafc.co.uk/articles/20080131/gerry-mccabe-profile_2208036_1230513 |archive-date=7 March 2010 }} He made over 200 league appearances for a Clydebank side that steamrollered through the divisions to the Scottish Premier Division. In 1977, he played abroad in the National Soccer League with Windsor Stars, and the following season with Toronto Italia.{{Cite news|last=Hall|first=Dave|date=4 July 1978|title=Stars dealt serious blow|page=17|work=The Windsor Star}} In 1990, he played with the Victoria Vistas. Towards the end of his playing career, he started coaching Celtic youth players.

Coaching career

After retiring as a player McCabe worked as assistant manager to Bobby Williamson at Kilmarnock.{{Cite web |url=http://www.qosfc.com/new_newsview.aspx?newsid=1863 |title=Jim McIntyre Profile |access-date=2 July 2013 |archive-date=16 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150316122359/http://www.qosfc.com/new_newsview.aspx?newsid=1863 |url-status=dead }} McCabe then went on to be assistant manager to Williamson at his next two managerial positions at Hibernian and Plymouth Argyle.{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/2379133/Lennon-is-backed-to-beat-bigots.html |title=Lennon is backed to beat bigots |date=18 May 2004 |access-date=9 October 2010 |work=The Daily Telegraph|location=London}} McCabe was the caretaker manager of Hibernian when Williamson moved to Plymouth before the end of the 2003–04 season. McCabe then rejoined Williamson at Plymouth at the start of the 2004–05 season.{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/h/hibernian/3676275.stm |title=Thordarson rejects Hibs |publisher=BBC Sport |date=3 May 2004 |access-date=9 October 2010}}

McCabe became manager of Dumbarton in 2006 when he replaced Paul Martin. McCabe promised a more attacking approach differing from the defensive style that Martin had employed. He also had the difficult but widely expected task of gaining promotion after only one season in the Scottish Third Division. McCabe signed former Kilmarnock Scottish Cup winner David Bagan and Stephen Dobbie on loan from St Johnstone. Dobbie scored 10 goals in 17 league games which pushed Dumbarton into a high league position. However Dobbie's loan spell ended in December 2006. Any chances of a loan extension were dashed when Dobbie signed permanently for Scottish First Division side Queen of the South. After Dobbie's departure the goals dried up and Dumbarton just fell short of a promotion play-off place and finished in fifth place. McCabe succeeded in leading Dumbarton to a Scottish Cup 3rd round tie against SPL champions Celtic which they lost 4–0.{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_cups/6234069.stm|title=Celtic 4–0 Dumbarton|date=6 January 2007|access-date=14 January 2008|publisher=BBC Sport}} McCabe also led Dumbarton to a League Cup clash against another SPL team, Inverness Caley Thistle eventually losing the match 3–1.{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_cups/5276150.stm|title=Inverness CT 3–1 Dumbarton|date=23 August 2006|access-date=14 January 2008|publisher=BBC Sport}}

In the 2007 pre-season, Dumbarton were considered one of the promotion favourites. However, after a succession of players left the club, including popular goalkeeper Stephen Grindlay, defender Chris Boyle and winger Ryan Borris, McCabe found it hard to replace them. Lack of goals was evident in the league when new signings Brian McPhee and David McFarlane failed to hit the net on a regular basis. This led to Dumbarton sitting third bottom of the league. With only 3 wins out of 11 league games, McCabe was dismissed in November 2007 after only 18 months at the Strathclyde Homes Stadium.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/dumbarton/7089940.stm|title=Sons sack McCabe after poor start|date=11 November 2007|accessdate=14 January 2008 |publisher=BBC Sport}}

In January 2008, McCabe was appointed assistant manager to player-manager Jim McIntyre at Dunfermline.{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/dunfermline_athletic/7182327.stm|title=McCabe new Pars assistant manager|date=10 January 2008|access-date=14 January 2008|publisher=BBC Sport}} McCabe continued as assistant manager when Jim Jefferies was appointed Dunfermline's manager but left the club in March 2013 after it entered administration.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21977921 |title=Dunfermline: Gerry McCabe exits as three players find new clubs |publisher=BBC Sport |date=29 March 2013 |access-date=30 March 2013}}

McCabe was appointed Queen of the South's assistant manager to McIntyre on 28 June 2013.{{cite web| url = http://www.qosfc.com/new_newsview.aspx?newsid=1859| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140714205514/http://www.qosfc.com/new_newsview.aspx?newsid=1859| archive-date = 2014-07-14| title = New Assistant Manager Confirmed}} After one season in Dumfries, McCabe moved to Dundee to become assistant to Paul Hartley.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27767491 Gerry McCabe joins Dundee from Queen of the South as assistant]

Honours

Managerial statistics

{{As of|2007|11|}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
rowspan="2"|Team

!rowspan="2"|Nat

!rowspan="2"|From

!rowspan="2"|To

!colspan="5"|Record

GWDLWin %
align=left|Dumbarton

|{{flagicon|Scotland}}

|align=left|June 2006

|align=left|November 2007

{{WDL|57|25|11|21}}

References

{{reflist}}