Stockport and Bolton aim to end second-tier exiles

Stockport and Bolton aim to end second-tier exilesImage source, ShutterstockImage caption, Bolton Wanderers boss Steven Schumacher (left) is yet to mastermind a win over Dave Challinor's (right) Stockport County since his appointment in January 2025ByJay FreemanBBC Sport, North WestPublished7 minutes ago"If you'd have told me when I was player-manager at Colwyn Bay and managing in a regional division that I'd be in a play-off final and fifth visit to Wembley as a manager playing for a massive prize, absolutely never would I have thought that would be the case."Dave Challinor has had an impressive managerial career, but almost a quarter of a century on from Stockport County's last spell in the second tier, he is one game away from leading them full circle back to the Championship.In 16 seasons as a manager, Challinor has managed Colwyn Bay, AFC Fylde, Hartlepool United and Stockport and has only finished outside the play-off places once during that period - which was also the Covid-interrupted 2019-20 season.He has wrapped up seven promotions as manager including one at Colwyn Bay in his first campaign in charge, two with Fylde, one with Hartlepool and two with Stockport.Not only that, but he has won four league titles to boot.Asked about his immense promotion record, Challinor was diplomatic in his assessment to BBC Radio Manchester: "A whole host of people work so hard and go through so much to give ourselves the opportunity and we've got that opportunity."So we have to do everything now to make sure we do what we can to grab it."Image source, ShutterstockImage caption, Bolton Wanderers lost 2-0 at the start of the season to Stockport County and fought back to earn a point in a 2-2 draw in their most recent meeting in AprilBolton's most recent chance of promotion back to the second tier came just two years ago, when they missed out on automatic promotion and entered the play-offs as most people's favourite...