The 47-year-old is preparing for his ninth play-off campaign in 13 years in management.
Today’s Wembley offering is a long way from his first, when he led Colwyn Bay out of the Northern Premier League in 2010 at the expense of FC United.
Two more play-off successes, and five defeats, have followed with AFC Fylde, Hartlepool United and now County. Challinor has also claimed three league titles in that time, including the National League a year ago. His sole season without a play off campaign or Championship was the Covid-impacted 2019-2020 campaign, when a Hartlepool side he joined midseason finished 12th in the national league on points per game.
Today he’s hoping to guide Stockport to a second successive promotion when they face Carlisle United.
County edged past Salford City on penalties in the semi-finals and finished ahead of their final opponents in the regular season, taking four points off the Cumbrians. But it’s this afternoon that matters most.
This story is from the May 28, 2023 edition of MEN on Sunday.
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This story is from the May 28, 2023 edition of MEN on Sunday.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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