League One play-off final: Stockport and Bolton aim to end second tier exile

Stockport are preparing for their second trip to Wembley this season, having been beaten by Luton Town in the Vertu Trophy final last month.

“It’s definitely of benefit,” Challinor believes. “That doesn’t mean you just turn up and win the game because you’ve been there six weeks ago.

“But all of the routine of what you go through, whether it’s travelling on the bus, whether it’s seeing the stadium for the first time, whether it’s driving inside the underneath of the stadium to get to the changing rooms, we’ve experienced that.

“So if it is new, then it’s not something we have to go through again without knowing what it feels like.”

To continue the full circle theme, Challinor’s first game in charge of the club was against Bolton in the FA Cup, when they drew 2-2 and later won a replay at Edgeley Park – a feat made more impressive by the fact his side were in the National League at the time.

“To start my career here with the FA Cup tie back in November 2021, to now face Bolton in a play-off final at Wembley, there’s always things in football that link up, this being a sort of key one,” he added.

“We’ve had some brilliant battles and contests over the five years that I’ve been here, with obviously a local rivalry.

“We were a couple of steps behind them, we’ve caught up. But there’s two really, really good teams that deserve to be where they are, that have both got match-winners in them.”