"County's 2-0 semi-final second-leg victory over Stevenage on Wednesday secured a 3-0 aggregate win and booked their place in next Sunday's League One play-off final at Wembley. Stockport County manager Dave Challinor says it is "amazing" for the club to be one match away from the second tier for the first time in 24 years. Owner Mark Stott's target when he took over the club in 2020 was to get County, then playing in the National League, into the Championship in seven years."
""It's amazing," Challinor - who, in 16 seasons as a manager, has won seven promotions, including two with Stockport - told BBC Radio Manchester. "Even if you're the most optimistic person, and I think the owner is, I don't think anyone else would think a plan to get this club back into the Championship would be exactly on line [track]. "It's the biggest step and the hardest step, but it's an opportunity, and that's all you can ask for.""
""The supporters have been fantastic. It would be great for the players and the staff to thank the fans. Hopefully, we'll get the ultimate opportunity to thank them by holding up a trophy at Wembley a week on Sunday." Relegation from the second tier in 2002, following arguably the club's glory years around the turn of the century, preceded a sharp decline that included financial turmoil and six seasons at National League North level from 2013 to 2019."
"But now, following promotion back into the Football League in 2022, then into League One as fourth-tier champions in 2024, the near quarter-of-a-century journey back to the second tier is one game away from completion. It is a league, in its current guise at least, they have never competed in - the second tier was still named Division One when the Hatters were last in it."
Stockport County secured a 2-0 semi-final second-leg victory over Stevenage to win 3-0 on aggregate and reach next Sunday’s League One play-off final at Wembley. The club is one match away from promotion to the second tier for the first time in 24 years. Manager Dave Challinor described the achievement as remarkable and noted the difficulty of the final step. Owner Mark Stott’s goal since 2020 has been to return the club to the Championship within seven years. After relegation from the second tier in 2002, the club experienced decline, financial turmoil, and multiple seasons in lower divisions. Promotions in 2022 and 2024 have brought the club back to the brink of completing the journey.
#stockport-county #league-one-play-offs #promotion-to-the-championship #wembley-final #dave-challinor
Read at www.bbc.com
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