Dave Challinor - Manager

FIRST TEAM PLAYER

Player Profile

The gaffer.

Manager Dave Challinor was appointed as the club’s first-team manager in November 2021, leaving a Hartlepool United side sat tenth in League Two having guided the Monkey Hangers to promotion from the National League the previous season.

A former County captain, Challinor played for the Club between 2002-2004 as a centre-half, and had successful spells at Tranmere and Bury as a player. Since stepping into management, Challinor has forged a successful career throughout the lower divisions, with a remarkable six previous promotions to his name during spells at Colwyn Bay and AFC Fylde. He has never finished outside of the play-off positions in any of his full seasons in management.

He inherited a Hatters side struggling in the National League, sat ninth after 13 games. The turnaround that transpired will never be forgotten by anyone associated with Stockport County Football Club.

In Chally’s first game in charge, we held League One side Bolton Wanderers to a 2-2 draw in the FA Cup First Round before going on to beat the Trotters 5-3 in a memorable replay. That proved the catalyst for an incredible run of form, with County embarking on a run of twenty wins and a draw in 21 games from December through to March, surging to the top of the National League table.

Promotion and a league title was secured on the final day of the season at Edgeley Park, as Dave became the man to finally lead the club back to the Football League after a long 11-year absence.

In his first full season as an EFL boss, Dave guided County all the way to Wembley in the League Two Play-Off Final, coming within a penalty shootout of a third successive promotion as a manager.

After signing a new three-year-deal in the Summer of 2023, DC again made history during the 2023/24 campaign, guiding us to a club record 13 straight wins in all competitions, and equalling the all-time fourth tier record of 12 consecutive league wins, en-route to winning the League Two title. It was the club’s first EFL title in 57 years, with Challinor becoming the first manager in our history to guide us to two league titles.

Basic Info

  • NAME: Dave Challinor
  • POSITION: Manager
  • AGE: 48
  • NATIONALITY: English

Season Stats

  • APPEARANCES: 0
  • GOALS: 0
  • ASSISTS: 0
  • REDS: 0
  • YELLOWS: 0

Other Coaching Staff

Clint Hill

First Team Coach

Dave Conlon

First Team Coach

Nick Colgan

Head of Goalkeeping

Luke Smith

Sports Therapist

Sam Holt

Head of Performance

Matt Jansen

Player Liaison Officer

Joppe Meulensteen

Assistant Coach

Andy Mangan

Assistant Coach

Back to Squad

NEWSLETTER SIGNUP






    Opening Times Newsletter Signup