Gregor Abel

{{Short description|Scottish footballer and manager}}

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

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Gregor Abel

| image =

| caption =

| fullname =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1949|04|09|df=y}}

| currentclub =

| position = Defender

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Bo'ness United

| years1 = 1969–1972

| years2 = 1972–1980

| years3 = 1980–1981

| clubs1 = Falkirk

| clubs2 = Clydebank

| clubs3 = Alloa Athletic

| caps1 = 70

| caps2 = 235

| caps3 = 25

| goals1 = 0

| goals2 = 0

| goals3 = 0

| totalcaps = 330

| totalgoals= 0

| manageryears1 = 1983–1984

| manageryears2 = 1987–1990

| managerclubs1 = Falkirk

| managerclubs2 = Alloa Athletic

}}

Gregor Abel (born 9 April 1949){{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2507&dat=19840214&id=CfY9AAAAIBAJ&sjid=FEkMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6453,2797686 |title=Pressure too much for Abel |first=Jim |last=Traynor |work=The Herald |publisher=Herald & Times Group |date=14 February 1984 |accessdate=21 September 2012}} 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.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2507&dat=19831119&id=Ofs9AAAAIBAJ&sjid=K0kMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3181,4440018 |title=Totten leaves behind an able replacement manager|first=Jim |last=Traynor |work=The Herald |publisher=Herald & Times Group |date=19 November 1983 |accessdate=21 September 2012}} Abel was appointed Falkirk manager in November 1983, after Totten left the club to become assistant manager of Rangers. He resigned in February 1984 due to the pressures of combining that job with working as a schoolteacher. 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. 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.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2507&dat=19870721&id=GkJAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TFkMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6650,5015787 |title=Falco may be on the bench|work=The Herald |publisher=Herald & Times Group |date= 21 July 1987|accessdate=21 September 2012}}

After leaving Dunfermline, Abel became assistant manager of Forfar Athletic.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2507&dat=19870729&id=IUJAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TFkMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2947,6796242 |title=Walker hits treble as Celtic tame Swedes |first=Jim |last=Reynolds |work=The Herald |publisher=Herald & Times Group |date=29 July 1987 |accessdate=21 September 2012}} Later that year, Abel was appointed manager of Alloa Athletic. The club won a promotion under his management{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2507&dat=19890515&id=wj1AAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TlkMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4763,5047828 |title=By the left, Alloa march on |first=Bill |last=Sutherland |work=The Herald |publisher=Herald & Times Group |date=15 May 1989 |accessdate=21 September 2012}} and reached the quarter-finals of the 1988–89 Scottish Cup.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2507&dat=19890224&id=qDNAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=O1kMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3142,7310493 |title=Scottish Cup saga is working to advantage of Rangers – McLean |first=Jim |last=Traynor |work=The Herald |publisher=Herald & Times Group |date=24 February 1989 |accessdate=21 September 2012}} Abel was sacked by Alloa Athletic in February 1990 as the club struggled in the Scottish First Division, having won promotion the season before.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2507&dat=19900203&id=zzhAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LVkMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5968,1028426 |title=Bad-boy Kasule suffers the wrath of Lambie |first=Hugh |last=McKinlay |work=The Herald |publisher=Herald & Times Group |date=3 February 1990 |accessdate=21 September 2012}}

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.