Stockport County Manager Dave Challinor Leaves League One Club in 2026 After Nearly Five Years

Dave Challinor departs Stockport County following a five-year tenure at the League One club.

Manager leaves by mutual agreement Dave Challinor has stepped down as manager of Stockport County following a mutual decision with the club. His departure comes after he spent almost five years leading the team from the National League up to League One. Challinor first returned to Edgeley Park as manager in November 2021 and has since been in charge for a total of 268 matches. ## Promotion successes and playoff heartbreak During his time at Stockport, Challinor secured two promotions for the club. This season, however, Stockport missed out on reaching the Championship after losing to Bolton Wanderers in the League One playoff final. Altogether, he guided the team to promotion five more times in his coaching career before joining Stockport. These included a single promotion with Colwyn Bay in his first managerial season, three promotions with Fylde, and one with Hartlepool. ## Records and achievements under Challinor Challinor's tenure saw him record 144 wins from 268 games in charge at Stockport County. Before his current role, he had also achieved success in lower divisions, demonstrating his consistent ability to lead teams upward. His return to the club in 2021 marked the beginning of a period of progress and near-misses at a higher level.