INSIDE THE EFL: How Stockport won the lottery – inside their rapid rise as the ‘promotion whisperer’ reveals their grand plans including an owner hell-bent on success, a Man City guru… and better pies!

Dave Challinor is reflecting on the toughest decision of his career.

It was November 2021 and Challinor had gained rave reviews after helping Hartlepool return to the EFL following a four-year absence.

The club were 10th in League Two and Challinor was finally living his dream of being a Football League manager. But, a spanner was thrown into the works when Stockport came calling.

County were languishing in midtable in the National League, a division Challinor had just left behind, but grand plans were afoot under Mark Stott, a local property mogul who took over the club in 2020.

‘It was a risk,’ Challinor, a former centre back who had played for Stockport in a career that was cut short by injury and once held the world record for the longest throw-in at 46.3metres, admits to Mail Sport. ‘We had something special at Hartlepool and I was all in for that to continue.

‘But as it transpired, there wasn’t really the ambition and commitment from the club that matched mine. At Stockport, everybody on the outside knew the owner had come in and what he wanted to do. I felt there wasn’t a glass ceiling.

Challinor’s ‘risk’ to take leave Hartlepool and join Stockport has paid off handsomely

Stockport are currently sitting fifth in League One, six points off the automatic promotion spots

‘I had also been living away from my family because it was Covid, so the opportunity to be back at home in the North West with a club that had real ambition ticked a lot of boxes.’

Challinor’s ‘risk’ to take the manager’s job at Stockport has paid off handsomely and when the 49-year-old joins Mail Sport, he does so with two promotions in his back pocket (taking his career total to an astonishing seven) and an incredible record of 105 wins in 194 games.

In that initial campaign, Stockport romped to the National League title before they missed out on automatic promotion from League Two on the final day in 2022-23 – and then cruelly lost on penalties in the play-off final.

The wounds were wiped away as Challinor added another title to his name in League Two last season and, with 10 games left this time around, Stockport are fifth in League One, six points off the automatic promotion spots. 

‘I take real satisfaction that I’ve played a part in moving a club forward, making people happy and repaying the faith of those that brought me here,’ Challinor adds.

‘There was a plan in place – which a lot of clubs have but don’t really live to in terms of what steps need to be taken and how quickly – and that has given me and the club a real chance of success.’

But, this incredible rise may never have happened.

Stockport had fallen on hard times during the late 2000s and early 2010s, tumbling from the second tier all the way to the bottom of the National League North in the space of a decade and a half.

Challinor has won two promotions and an incredible 105 of his 194 games at Stockport

Stockport’s crowds 9,561 this season, almost four times what they were 10 years ago

Stockport have an eventual aim of becoming a high-end Championship outfit by 2027

Finances were stretched, with real danger of liquidation on occasions, and the club – who entered administration in 2009 – went part-time in 2013 as a cost-cutting measure.

Stockport were also unable to afford a training ground and instead rented local pitches, while attendances dropped to an average of 2,634 at their Edgeley Park home in 2014-15 – one of their six seasons in the National League North.

In fact, the chaos was so stark that the club missed out on Phil Foden, the town’s greatest and most recognisable footballer, as there was no academy at the time of his emergence – another commodity absent in the name of cost-cutting. Cole Palmer and Kobbie Mainoo aren’t from far away, either.

Things had picked up before Challinor came in as County returned to the National League in 2019, but while he has had a major role in Stockport’s incredible journey, the impact of owner Stott can never be underestimated.

Stott was raised on the outskirts of the Greater Manchester town and arrived in 2020 armed with a plan to clear the club’s debts, sort a new training ground and return to the EFL, with an eventual aim of becoming a high-end Championship outfit by 2027.

The third of those aims has most certainly been achieved, while Stott converted £7.7million he was owed into equity in the club in 2022, meaning there is no debt outstanding to him.

Meanwhile, ambitious plans remain in place to build a state-of-the-art training ground within the borough of Stockport, but for now County have a permanent home at Manchester City’s former base in Carrington, where facilities are described as Championship level.

Stockport have similarly tapped into a supportive community, building value in the club, something that has seen attendances average 9,561 this season, almost four times what they were 10 years ago.

The major January blow of Aston Villa recalling Louie Barry, a star who had twice won League One Player of the Month and scored 16 goals in 24 games, has not slowed down the charge

Edgeley Park has been rejuvenated, right down to improving the stadium’s bars and the quality of pies sold to fans

Edgeley Park has been rejuvenated, right down to improving the stadium’s bars and the quality of pies sold to fans, and plans are in place to expand the ground to 18,000.

A key focus of the expansion will be on fan experience and Stockport supporters are being heavily consulted at every step. Stott has similarly helped to support the club in the transfer market, via a method that has seen County target players from levels above where they are competing.

This included bringing in Paddy Madden and Antoni Sarcevic – both regulars in League One – during Stockport’s stint in the National League, while the likes of Kyle Wootton (Notts County) and Fraser Horsfall (Northampton) were signed from divisional rivals after Stockport were promoted to League Two.

The addition of former Manchester United man Nick Powell in the summer of 2023 following the attacker’s exit from Championship side Stoke was further evidence of the club’s financial strength and appeal, although the move has not quite worked out.

Stockport have similarly utilised the loan market to devastating effect, most notably via Aston Villa hotshot Louie Barry, while last summer’s arrival of Oliver Norwood, who played 27 times in the Premier League for Sheffield United last season, has been integral.

‘Mark’s investment has been the most crucial factor in our success,’ Challinor explains. ‘Without it, this wouldn’t be going as well as it has done.

‘It has transformed the club from a big club struggling in the National League North to one back at the level it should be and aspirational to get to one more level.’

Stott’s arrival was described as the day the club won the lottery by president Steve Bellis and he has been humble enough to delegate to experts.

This included bringing in Simon Wilson as director of football. Wilson – who was promoted to CEO last month – gained a reputation in the game as an innovative thinker, working in analysis roles at Southampton and Man City, before he spent a decade with the City Football Group. 

The addition of former Manchester United man Nick Powell in 2023 following his exit from Championship side Stoke was further evidence of the club’s financial strength and appeal

Owner Mark Stott was raised in Stockport and his impact on the project has been massive

As a player, Challinor held the throw-in world record for a time with an effort of 46.3metres 

Meanwhile, Challinor has gained plaudits for his front-footed style of play and is engaging company throughout our conversation, where his personal skills and attention to detail shine through.

His record at Stockport is no fluke, rather it follows the trend of what has been a stunning managerial career that has seen the 49-year-old dubbed as a ‘promotion whisperer’.

There was one at Colwyn Bay in his first job, before Challinor took AFC Fylde from the Northern Premier League Division One North to within 90 minutes of the EFL. Success at Hartlepool followed and the rest is history.

Challinor insists there is no particular secret, but points to his no excuses mentality. ‘I’ve been a player and I know everyone will look for them,’ he says.

‘So, we are trying to minimise any excuses players might have and put something in place that gives them the best chance of success.

‘That is the case regardless of what level you’re at and the resources you have.’

Stockport’s adaptation to League One has been seamless and although nothing should be written off given the club’s recent history, it is still notable to see them fifth in an extremely competitive division.

Stockport celebrate after they romped home to the National League title back in 2022

Challinor lifts the National League trophy after securing the sixth of seven career promotions

The major January blow of Aston Villa recalling Barry, a star who had twice won League One Player of the Month and scored 16 goals in 24 games after also shining in their promotion last season, has not slowed down the charge, although Challinor has been forced to adapt.

Nevertheless, County, who have lost one of their past 11 games, are now potentially months away from returning to the second tier of English football for the first time in 23 years. And Challinor refuses to put any limits on Stockport’s aspirations in what he admits is a wide open promotion battle.

‘We’ve just got to make sure we stay in that mix,’ he says. ‘There are players coming back from injury, including significant ones who have been out.

‘A lot of players within the group have had success and ran the course and distance – albeit not so much at this level – but they’ll be hugely important for us in this period.

‘We just have to be really consistent and give ourselves a shot at the back end of the season.’

Regulator set for summer arrival 

I attended a briefing with EFL chairman Rick Parry this week on the latest surrounding the Football Governance Bill.

The bill, which was reintroduced by the Labour government after it failed to pass before last summer’s election, has been going through its report stage in the House of Lords in recent days.

Parry gave several interesting bits of information in the briefing, including his belief that this version of the bill – which will establish a first independent regulator for the men’s game – is ‘better than the last one’, while he also hinted that if all goes to plan it could become law by the summer.

Rick Parry said he believes this version of the football regulator bill is ‘better than the last one’

The ability to review the hotly contested topic of parachute payments will be within its provisions and Parry also revealed the EFL had written to Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch to demand a meeting after she U-turned on her support for the bill, labelling it ‘a waste of money’.

‘We were surprised she had come out against the bill,’ Parry said. ‘She said she had spoken to people in football who thought it was a waste of time.

‘We pointed out she hadn’t spoken to anyone at the EFL and that she hadn’t taken our views on board. We would like a meeting to explain our perspective so she could take a more balanced view. We are awaiting a response.’

Gillingham’s unlikely lucky mascot

It’s been a frustrating season for Gillingham, with a campaign that promised so much giving way to midtable mediocrity as they sit 19th in League Two despite genuine promotion hopes before a ball was kicked.

So when the in-form Bradford came to town on Saturday on the back of a 14-game unbeaten run, you would have forgiven Gills fans for hiding behind the sofa instead of making the trip to Priestfield – somewhere that has often been an unhappy place to spend their weekends.

Renowned Chaser Shaun Wallace was a suprise attendee at Gillingham’s game with Bradford

Wallace revealed he has now watched Gillingham five times and seen them win each time

But, a much-improved performance saw John Coleman pick up the second win of his largely uninspiring tenure thanks to Conor Masterson’s goal.

And, it turned out the clash was watched on by Shaun Wallace, also known as the Dark Destroyer from The Chase, ITV’s hit quiz show, with the renowned Chaser presented on the pitch before the game alongside former Gills favourite Nyron Nosworthy.

Wallace later revealed he has now watched Gillingham five times and seen them win on each occasion.

Can you come every week, Shaun?