Leading Stockport County’s Promotion Charge

Updated: 1 May 2025 2:29 pm

Stockport County’s remarkable resurgence under Dave Challinor continues, with the club on the brink of back-to-back promotions. Heading into the final fixture of the season, they sit 3rd in the League One table and have secured a spot in the playoffs. An incredible achievement in their first season back at this level since the 2009/10 campaign.

County enters the playoffs in strong form. They have lost just once in their last 12 outings and are widely considered amongst the favourites for promotion. But regardless of the campaign’s eventual outcome and what league the team will feature in next season, manager Dave Challinor’s impact has been extraordinary.

When Challinor took the Stockport job in November 2021, The Hatters were 9th in the National League, 10 points adrift of the top spot. Now they sit on the cusp of the Championship.

Known for his tactical acumen and promotion-winning pedigree, Challinor is establishing a reputation as one of the most successful managers in English football’s lower leagues. In his 15-year managerial career, his team has finished below the playoff places only once, during the COVID-affected 2019/20 campaign and has achieved seven promotions across four clubs.

During his playing days, he was famed for his long throws and played as a central defender in the Football League for Tranmere Rovers, Stockport County, and Bury. He began his managerial career as player-manager at Colwyn Bay in 2010, guiding them to promotion in his debut season. He later enjoyed further success with AFC Fylde, earning three promotions and an FA Trophy, and led Hartlepool United to promotion from the National League in his first full season.

A Historic Turnaround

Challinor was a talented tactician, but few would’ve predicted the success he would achieve with his new club when he returned to Stockport County in November 2021.  

He inherited a team that was struggling in the National League and orchestrated a remarkable turnaround. In his first season, he led Stockport to the National League title, securing promotion back to the Football League after an 11-year absence. He led the team on an extraordinary run, winning 20 and drawing 1 of 21 games from December to March, propelling them to the top of the league. Unsurprisingly, Challinor’s leadership earned him the National League Manager of the Season award for the 2021–22 campaign.

The following season, Stockport reached the League Two play-off final but were narrowly defeated on penalties. However, fans of the club didn’t have to wait long to see their side promoted. The 2023/24 season was historic for Stockport County. Under Challinor’s leadership, the team won the League Two title, securing their first EFL division crown in 57 years. During the campaign, the team won a club record 13 straight wins in all competitions and equalled the fourth-tier’s record of 12 consecutive league wins in the same run.

A Defining Era

In the last 3 league campaigns, Stockport’s worst finish was losing the playoff final on penalties. Truly a remarkable time to be a supporter of the club, having spent the 11 prior seasons watching your side compete outside of the EFL. If Challinor can lead his team to their 3^rd promotion in 4 seasons, he will cement himself as a club legend and have taken The Hatters on one of the most remarkable runs the football league has seen.

In just a few short years, Dave Challinor has turned Stockport County from a struggling National League side into an established contender for promotion to the Championship. His track record speaks for itself, and at just 49, a relative junior in the managerial world, Challinor has many more seasons to inspire consistent success.

Challinor has already written a new chapter in the club’s history. Should he complete the climb to the second tier, it will not only be a defining moment for Stockport County but an exclamation mark on one of English football’s most compelling managerial stories.