Jon Challinor

Jon Challinor (born 2 December 1980) is an English semi-professional footballer who plays as a defender or midfielder for club Stamford, where he also serves as a coach. He has played in the Football League for York City. He is also one of the few footballers to have made over 1,000 competitive appearances.

Challinor started his career with Rushden & Diamonds, and after being released in 2000 had spells with Stamford, Cambridge City, the Kalamazoo Kingdom and St Albans City. He reached the 2004 Football Conference play-off final with Aldershot Town, and after another unsuccessful play-off campaign in the 2004–05 season signed for Exeter City in 2005. He played in the 2007 Conference National play-off final defeat before returning to Rushden in 2007. He left for Cambridge United a year later, playing for them in the 2009 Conference Premier play-off final. After spells with Forest Green Rovers, Mansfield Town, Brackley Town, Newport County and Kettering Town, Challinor signed for York City in 2011. Here, he won promotion to League Two in his fourth appearance in a Conference Premier play-off final, following victory in the 2012 final, also winning in the 2012 FA Trophy final. He was released by the club a year later.

Early and personal life Jon Challinor was born on 2 December 1980 in Northampton, Northamptonshire. He married in May 2024.

Club career Early career Challinor began his career in the youth system at Rushden & Diamonds. He made his first-team debut for the Football Conference club as an 18-year-old in a Conference League Cup match against Farnborough Town on 22 December 1998. He impressed with Stamford, moving to Southern League Premier Division club Cambridge City in February 2001, He made 46 appearances, scoring three goals, in the 2001–02 season His debut came in St Albans' 4–0 victory away to Ware in the Herts Charity Cup first round on 3 August, before scoring his first goal in a 2–0 home win against Heybridge Swifts on 26 August. He made his debut in a 2–1 home win over Accrington Stanley on 10 August, before scoring his first goal in a 5–2 win away to Telford United on 16 August. He was handed a three-match suspension after being given a red card in a 2–0 home defeat to Margate on 20 December, making his return in a 4–0 defeat away to Farnborough on 24 January 2004. He played in the 2004 Football Conference play-off final against Shrewsbury Town at the Britannia Stadium, which Aldershot lost 3–0 in a penalty shoot-out after a 1–1 draw following extra time. His 2003–04 season with Aldershot finished having scored 13 goals in 48 appearances. Challinor missed his penalty kick in the penalty shoot-out, before Danny Livesey scored the penalty that secured Carlisle's place in the play-off final.

Exeter City On 20 May 2005, Challinor joined Conference National club Exeter City on a two-year contract. Manager Alex Inglethorpe described him by saying "He's 24 years of age and he fits the bill of the type of player that will help us next season. I liken him to Tim Cahill of Everton. He likes to get forward and score goals, and has a good grounding in both League and non-League football." He scored in a 4–0 win over former club Aldershot on 26 December, during which he was targeted by opposition fans, after his former manager Terry Brown claimed he left Aldershot for financial reasons. After the match, Challinor said "I got one over on the manager and proved him wrong, he didn't think I was good enough. Their fans were at me throughout the game but it only made me focus more." but after remaining at Exeter he was offered a new contract at the club in February 2007, which he did not sign. He played for Exeter in the 2007 Conference National play-off final on 20 May 2007, the first Conference play-off final to be played at the newly rebuilt Wembley Stadium. He assisted Lee Phillips' ninth-minute opening goal for Exeter, although the team went on to lose 2–1 to Morecambe. He made his debut in a 1–1 draw away to Woking on 11 August, before scoring his first goal in a 1–1 draw away to Salisbury City on 8 September. He started the season playing in midfield, but when being played as a striker in late February 2008 he went on a run of scoring six goals in five consecutive matches. His debut came in a 1–0 win away to Northwich Victoria on 9 August, and scored his first goal with the winner in the first minute of stoppage time of a 1–0 home win over Lewes on 7 October. Soon after he was told by manager Gary Brabin to provide more support for the team's strikers, with Challinor agreeing, saying "It will put the added responsibility on me to start shooting and take some pressure off the forwards. If the midfield can get some goals as well, then that will help the team". He immediately followed this up with the winning goal against Weymouth in a 1–0 home win on 11 October,

Challinor's first sending off for Cambridge came after receiving a second yellow card during a 5–0 home defeat to Crawley Town in the FA Trophy second round on 14 January 2009. He made his return from suspension in a 1–1 home draw with Oxford United on 29 January. Challinor came on as a 79th-minute substitute for Paul Carden in the 2009 Conference Premier play-off final at Wembley Stadium, in which Torquay United won 2–0. Having struggled to make an impact for Cambridge in the 2008–09 season, which he finished with two goals in 39 appearances,

He was sent out on loan to Cambridge's divisional rivals Forest Green Rovers for one month on 7 August 2009. Challinor made his debut the following day in a 2–1 home defeat against Kettering Town, going on to make seven appearances at Forest Green. He left Cambridge on loan again after joining Conference Premier rivals Mansfield Town on a two-month loan on 20 November. Challinor made a scoring debut for Mansfield with the equalising goal from close range in a 1–1 draw at home to Eastbourne Borough on 21 November. After making six appearances and scoring one goal in his loan spell, He was released by Mansfield at the end of the 2009–10 season, having made 15 appearances and scored two goals after signing permanently. He then signed for Conference Premier club Newport County on a short-term contract on 30 October, making his debut later that day as a 28th-minute substitute for Martin John in a 2–1 home defeat to Kettering Town, but was himself substituted in the 73rd minute for Robbie Matthews. Challinor scored on his next appearance for Newport, with the winning goal after netting Sam Deering's cross in the 29th minute of extra time in a 1–0 victory away to Wealdstone in an FA Trophy first-round replay on 13 December. He was released by Newport on 30 December, having made four appearances and scored one goal for the club. Kettering were fighting against relegation, and Challinor was quoted as saying "We have to stay positive. We know it's a transitional period for the club and there is a lot going on". He made his debut later that day as a half-time substitute for Callum Wilson in Kettering's 2–1 loss away to Grimsby Town. His first goal for Kettering came in stoppage time against Southport in a 3–1 home victory on 30 April, having entered the match in the 89th minute.

York City

On 25 August 2011, Challinor signed for Kettering's Conference Premier rivals York City on a contract until January 2012, having impressed manager Gary Mills when playing against York for Kettering two days earlier. He made his debut a day later, coming on as a 56th-minute substitute for Paddy McLaughlin in a 0–0 draw away to Fleetwood Town. Challinor was soon converted into a right-back at York, a position in which he displayed composure and an ability to start attacking moves. His first goal for York came in a 4–2 win away to Hayes & Yeading United on 22 October with a drilled shot into the bottom right corner of the goal from the edge of the penalty area.

He signed a new contract with York until the end of the 2011–12 season in January 2012. He featured in the York team that won 2–0 in the 2012 FA Trophy final at Wembley Stadium against his former club Newport on 12 May. Eight days later he again played at Wembley Stadium to win promotion to League Two through the 2012 Conference Premier play-off final with a 2–1 victory over Luton Town. Thus, Challinor was successful in achieving promotion to the Football League in his fourth appearance in a Conference Premier play-off final.

Ahead of Challinor's first season as a Football League player, he was quoted as saying "It's been a long time coming so I'm going to embrace it and enjoy every minute. I think almost every team I have played for has gone on to reach the League so to finally achieve it is a dream come true but it doesn't end there". He made his first appearance as a League player in a League Cup first-round match away to Doncaster Rovers on 11 August 2012 as an 87th-minute substitute for McLaughlin. York lost 4–2 in a penalty shoot-out after a 1–1 draw after extra time, although Challinor was successful in converting his penalty.

Return to Stamford Challinor re-signed for Stamford in August 2013, after playing for the Northern Premier League Premier Division club during pre-season. After impressive performances throughout December, which culminated in him being named Stamford's Player of the Month, Challinor signed a dual registration deal with Conference Premier team FC Halifax Town on 7 January 2014. He made his debut in a 0–0 draw away to Wrexham on 11 January. He remained in charge until the appointment of Graham Drury as manager on 12 November. He had made 30 appearances and scored two goals in all competitions

In February 2020, Challinor joined Yaxley on dual registration; he appeared once for the club, in a 1–1 draw with Wantage Town on 11 February in a Southern League Division One Central match. He was part of the Stamford team that won the 2022–23 Northern Premier League Division One Midlands title, earning promotion to the Southern League Premier Division Central. He made 25 appearances and scored four goals in all competitions that season. and made 11 appearances, scoring four goals, in the 2023–24 season. making eight appearances and scoring one goal in the 2024–25 season. but some days later, in June, returned to the club in a player-coach role under new manager Ant Fenton.

International career Challinor was capped once by the England National Game XI, which represents England at non-League level, making his only appearance on 11 February 2004 against Italy.

In addition, he has made appearances for England's veterans national team.

Career statistics

Managerial statistics

Conference Premier play-offs: 2012

Stamford Lincolnshire Senior Shield: 2013–14, 2014–15 Northern Premier League Division One Midlands: 2022–23