Stockport aim for Championship ahead of plan - Challinor

Dave Challinor has led Stockport County from the National League to League One in three seasons

Stockport County are aiming to exceed expectations and reach the Championship sooner than initially planned, boss Dave Challinor has said.

The Hatters are preparing for their first League One campaign in 14 years, having won the League Two title last term.

Challinor has led the club from the National League to the third tier in three seasons, narrowly missing out on achieving the feat in successive campaigns after they lost in the 2022-23 League Two play-off final.

"[Owner] Mark Stott came in with an ambition to get the Championship in seven years and now, being in League One, this next part is a three-year plan to try and get to the Championship," Challinor told BBC Radio Manchester.

"We'd all like to do it sooner, plans are there to be beaten aren't they?

"We're going in a slightly different direction as a football club and the objective is to be successful and the outcome will allow us to move up the leagues."

Stott's arrival in 2020 coincided with a massive upturn in fortunes for the club, along with significant investment.

They battled with Wrexham in a memorable National League title fight in 2021-22, eventually sealing the fifth-tier title and a return to League football after a period outside the EFL which had seen the club drop to regional football.

Challinor spurred an on-field revolution, winning two promotions and restoring pride to the club as well as a place in English football's third tier - the first time he has managed at that level.

Despite their quick ascension through the leagues, Challinor does not expect to challenge for the League One title next term - because of the number of big names in the league.

"It's different this season compared to the past two or three seasons where we've had budgets in the top two or three so then there's an expectation to finish in the top three," he explained.

"That will be different this year and there are some massive clubs in League One. Last year there were maybe eight to 10 clubs that would hope to get into the play-off positions and I think it's deeper than that this year.

"I think there's probably 14 or 15 that would hope to push those play-off positions and I would count us as one of those teams.

"It's a big challenge in front of us. In terms of size of club are we in the top six? No we're probably not, but that doesn't mean we can't dare to dream and back ourselves to be successful and push as high as we can."