Dave Challinor boasts unmatched experience in playoff campaigns and promotion battles. His teams have reached playoffs or higher in 15 of his 16 managerial seasons across clubs like Colwyn Bay, Fylde, Hartlepool, and now Stockport. The only exception occurred during a mid-season move in 2019-20.
Challinor’s Playoff Pedigree
Stockport kicks off its League One playoff semi-final first leg away at Stevenage on Saturday, marking Challinor’s 12th such campaign from Northern Premier League to League One levels. The 50-year-old centre-back, who played 91 times for Stockport, reflects on his journey: “I’ve been through absolutely everything. I’ve won and lost eliminators, won and lost semi-finals and finals, won and lost on penalties. I’ve even had goalkeepers score against me.”
“It’s something I never thought would happen,” Challinor adds. “Over the course of my career I’ve been at places that have had ambition to move forward. But if someone had told me at the start of my managerial career that would be the case I’d have said: ‘You’re daft.’ It’s a really proud record but it’s not something that actively guides what I do – I just want to win. I take great pleasure in putting teams together that are driven, ambitious and want to be successful.”
Old-School Demands Resonate with Players
Players view Challinor as an old-school manager enforcing high standards. Veteran midfielder Oliver Norwood, a Manchester United academy product who thrived under Chris Wilder at Sheffield United, praises him: “He’s obviously doing something right. He makes demands of you, he doesn’t accept rubbish, he demands that players drag everything out of themselves to be successful. Sometimes players may not like the truth being told. The game has changed a lot, and people are a lot more sensitive, but there’s still a place in football for holding people accountable, and that’s what the manager does.”
Playoff Mindset: Form Fades, Focus Endures
Challinor urges his squad to ignore regular-season form in the playoffs’ unpredictability. Stockport, third in League One, mirrors last year’s scenario against Leyton Orient, where they dominated but missed key chances in extra time and fell on penalties. “You’re in a four-team tournament where any team can have an argument to say they deserve to get promoted,” Challinor states. “But it’s not about deserving – as we found out last year. We played really well but sometimes things can go against you. Hopefully this year will be our year. We’re doing everything to make sure that’s the case.”
Despite two league losses to Stevenage this season and clinching top-six on the final day with a 3-1 win at Barnsley, Challinor dismisses underdog status. “This is very much a separate entity,” he says. “We’ve played 46 league games and finished third in the table – fantastic. We now move to a four-team competition to become a Championship team. It’s almost like the 46 games don’t count for a great deal.”
Stockport’s Rapid Ascent
Challinor arrived in 2021, aiding Stockport’s climb from National League North seven years ago to Championship contention. Owner Mark Stott and chief executive Simon Wilson drive smart off-field strategies. The Carrington training ground displays: “Behave like a big team.” Challinor credits the progress: “This was a blank canvas and in terms of success it couldn’t have gone any better. It’s almost been followed to the dot, which is a massive credit to him [Wilson]. Everything that’s needed to be ticked off has been, really.”
A Championship promotion would mark new territory for both Challinor and Stockport, absent from the second tier for 24 years. His playoff savvy keeps him composed: “The playoffs can bring all sorts of weird and wonderful stuff. When you’ve not been involved in them before that can be a shock. Everything is on the line here. There are so many things that go on, I think you have to expect the unexpected.” Notably, his 2021 Hartlepool side overcame a goalkeeper’s late goal against Torquay, winning on penalties in the National League final.
