My Stockport supporting brother tells me Challinor was on at least £5k per week, so whether oafc could afford him is a different matter.
His record at County in the last few years was very impressive...
On 2 November 2021, Challinor was appointed manager of National League side Stockport County with the club in 9th position, ten points from 1st place.[32][33][34] Challinor was awarded the National League's Manager of the Month award for January 2022 after six wins from six in all competitions that saw Stockport finish the month top of the league.[35] He would lose only one of his first 23 matches with Stockport.[34] On 15 May 2022, Stockport beat FC Halifax Town 2–0 to clinch the National League title.[36] Following promotion, Challinor was named as the National League Manager of the Season.[34]

After Stockport won all three games in December 2022, Challinor won the EFL League Two Manager of the Month award.[37] He also won the Manager of the Month award for February 2023 after winning five games from six.[38] Stockport missed out on automatic promotion to EFL League One on the final day of the season, finishing 4th and qualifying for the play-offs.[39] After defeating Salford City in the semi-final, Stockport lost on penalties in the play-off final to Carlisle United.[40][41] On 5 July 2023, Challinor signed a new three-year deal with Stockport.[42]

In August 2023, rumours emerged that Challinor had been interviewed for the vacant manager's job at League One club Charlton Athletic.[43] Having remained at Stockport, he received two successive Manager of the Month awards, for September[44] and October, extending a club-record winning run to twelve matches.[45] At the end of the 2023–24 season, Stockport were promoted to League One as champions.[46] This was their first Football League division title since 1966–67.[46]

On 1 June 2026, after Stockport were defeated by Bolton in the League One playoff final, the club announced Challinor had left by mutual consent.[47]