Jon Challinor (born 2 December 1980) is an English semi-professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...
who plays as a
defender or
midfielder
A midfielder is an outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
for club
Stamford. He has played in
the Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
for
York City
York City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of York, North Yorkshire, England. As of the 2022–23 season, the team compete in the National League, at the fifth tier of the English football league sys ...
.
Challinor started his career with
Rushden & Diamonds
Rushden & Diamonds Football Club was an association football club based in Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire, England. Nicknamed "The Diamonds", the club played at Nene Park. The club's main rivals were county neighbours Kettering Town.
The cl ...
, and after being released in 2000 had spells with Stamford,
Cambridge City, the
Kalamazoo Kingdom
Kalamazoo Kingdom were an American soccer team, founded in 1996. The team was a member of the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2006, when the team left the league and th ...
and
St Albans City. He reached the
2004 Football Conference play-off Final with
Aldershot Town
Aldershot Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Aldershot, Hampshire, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. The club was founded in the spring ...
, and after another unsuccessful play-off campaign in the
2004–05 season signed for
Exeter City
Exeter City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Exeter, Devon, England. The team play in , the third tier of the English football league system. Known as "the Grecians", the origin of their nickname is subject to ...
in 2005. He played in the
2007 Conference National play-off Final
The 2006–07 Conference National play-off Final took place on 20 May 2007 and was contested between Morecambe and Exeter City. It was held at Wembley Stadium. The attendance of 40,043 was the largest for a Conference National
The National Le ...
defeat before returning to Rushden in 2007. He left for
Cambridge United
Cambridge United Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Cambridge, England. They compete in EFL League one , the 3rd tier of the English football league system. The club is based at the Abbey Stadium on N ...
a year later, playing for them in the
2009 Conference Premier play-off Final. After spells with
Forest Green Rovers
Forest Green Rovers Football Club are a professional football club based in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, England. The team compete in , the third tier of the English football league system, and have played their home games at The New Lawn since ...
,
Mansfield Town
Mansfield Town Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in the town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England. The team competes in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. Nicknamed 'The Stags', they ...
,
Brackley Town
Brackley Town Football Club is a Association football, football club in Brackley, Northamptonshire, England. They are currently members of and play at St. James Park. The club won the FA Trophy in 2018.
History
Established in 1890, the club sp ...
,
Newport County and
Kettering Town
Kettering Town Football Club is a football club based in Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire, England. They are currently members of and play at Latimer Park in Burton Latimer. Kettering were the first club to wear sponsorship on their shirts in ...
, Challinor signed for York City in 2011. Here, he won
promotion
Promotion may refer to:
Marketing
* Promotion (marketing), one of the four marketing mix elements, comprising any type of marketing communication used to inform or persuade target audiences of the relative merits of a product, service, brand or i ...
to
League Two
The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football Lea ...
in his fourth appearance in a
Conference Premier
The National League, known as the Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest level of the National League System and fifth-highest of the overall English football league system. It is the highest league that is semi-profess ...
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
Challinor was born in
Northampton
Northampton () is a market town and civil parish in the East Midlands of England, on the River Nene, north-west of London and south-east of Birmingham. The county town of Northamptonshire, Northampton is one of the largest towns in England; ...
, Northamptonshire. He married his wife Lara in 2007.
As Challinor is a fan of the ''
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
'' films,
The Imperial March
"The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme)" is a musical theme present in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. It was composed by John Williams for the film ''The Empire Strikes Back''. Together with "Yoda's Theme", "The Imperial March" was premiered on ...
was played as part of the ceremony.
Club career
Early career
Challinor began his career in the youth system at
Rushden & Diamonds
Rushden & Diamonds Football Club was an association football club based in Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire, England. Nicknamed "The Diamonds", the club played at Nene Park. The club's main rivals were county neighbours Kettering Town.
The cl ...
.
He made his first-team debut for the
Football Conference
The National League (named Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons) is an association football league in England consisting of three divisions, the National League, National League North, and National League South. It was called the ...
club as an 18-year-old in a
Conference League Cup
The Conference League Cup (formerly known as the Setanta Shield for sponsorship reasons, and before that the Bob Lord Trophy) was a football competition open to clubs playing in the Football Conference.
History
The competition was formed for ...
match against
Farnborough Town
Farnborough Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Farnborough, Hampshire, England. Founded in 1967 as Farnborough Town, they are currently members of the , the sixth tier of English football and play at Cherrywood Road.
H ...
on 22 December 1998.
[ He signed a contract at the end of his scholarship, but after failing to break into the first team squad was released in May 2000.][ Challinor dropped two divisions to join Southern League Division One East club Stamford in search of first team football.] He impressed with Stamford, moving to Southern League Premier Division club Cambridge City in February 2001, scoring two goals in 11 league appearances before the end of the 2000–01 season. He made 46 appearances, scoring three goals, in 2001–02 before spending the close season
In an organized sports league, a typical season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session: for example, in Major League Baseball the season lasts approximately from the last week of March to the last week of Se ...
with the Kalamazoo Kingdom
Kalamazoo Kingdom were an American soccer team, founded in 1996. The team was a member of the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2006, when the team left the league and th ...
in the American USL Premier Development League
USL League Two (USL2), formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), is a semi-professional developmental soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States and Canada, forming part of the United States soccer league syste ...
.
Challinor returned to England after joining Isthmian League
The Isthmian League () is a regional men's football league covering Greater London, East and South East England, featuring mostly semi-professional clubs.
Founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area, the league now consists of 82 tea ...
Premier Division club St Albans City on a two-year contract in August 2002. His debut came in St Albans' 4–0 victory away to Ware
Ware may refer to:
People
* Ware (surname)
* William of Ware (), English Franciscan theologian
Places Canada
*Fort Ware, British Columbia
United Kingdom
*Ware, Devon
*Ware, Hertfordshire
*Ware, Kent
United States
* Ware, Elmore County, Al ...
in the Herts Charity Cup
The Herts Charity Cup, officially titled the Hertfordshire Football Association Charity Cup, was begun in the 1900-01 season as a fund raising competition for the chosen charities of the Hertfordshire County Football Association. It is second o ...
first round on 3 August 2002, before scoring his first goal in a 2–0 home win against Heybridge Swifts on 26 August. Challinor played in St Albans' 4–1 FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
first round
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...
defeat to Second Division
In sport, the Second Division, also called Division 2 or Division II is usually the second highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Following the rise of Premier League style compet ...
team Stockport County
Stockport County Football Club are a professional association football, football club in Stockport, England, who compete in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, they wer ...
on 16 November 2002. He scored six goals in 57 appearances in 2002–03, before spending a second close season with the Kalamazoo Kingdom, making 17 appearances and scoring two goals in the USL Premier Development League.
Aldershot Town
After being released by St Albans, Challinor signed for Football Conference club Aldershot Town
Aldershot Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Aldershot, Hampshire, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. The club was founded in the spring ...
on 8 August 2003, having appeared for them in pre-season. He made his debut in a 2–1 home win over Accrington Stanley
Accrington Stanley Football Club is a professional association football club based in Accrington, Lancashire, England. The club competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. They have spent their complete history ...
on 10 August 2003, before scoring his first goal in a 5–2 win away to Telford United on 16 August. Having made an impressive start for Aldershot, scoring five goals in 12 appearances, Challinor signed a contract lasting until the end of 2004–05 on 14 October 2003. After being sent off
In sports, an ejection (also known as dismissal, sending-off, disqualification, or early shower) is the removal of a participant from a contest due to a violation of the sport's rules. The exact violations that lead to an ejection vary depending ...
in a 2–0 home defeat to Margate
Margate is a seaside resort, seaside town on the north coast of Kent in south-east England. The town is estimated to be 1.5 miles long, north-east of Canterbury and includes Cliftonville, Garlinge, Palm Bay, UK, Palm Bay and Westbrook, Kent, ...
on 20 December 2003 he was given a three-match suspension
Suspension or suspended may refer to:
Science and engineering
* Suspension (topology), in mathematics
* Suspension (dynamical systems), in mathematics
* Suspension of a ring, in mathematics
* Suspension (chemistry), small solid particles suspend ...
, 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
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of English football. The club plays its home games at the New Meadow, having mo ...
at the Britannia Stadium
The Bet365 Stadium (stylised as ''bet365 Stadium'') is an all-seater football stadium in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England and the home of EFL Championship club Stoke City. The stadium was previously called the Britannia Stadium but ...
, which Aldershot lost 3–0 in a penalty shoot-out
The penalty shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to pen ...
after a 1–1 draw following extra time
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw where the scores are the same. In some sports, this extra period is played onl ...
. His 2003–04 season with Aldershot finished having scored 13 goals in 48 appearances.
Aldershot qualified for the play-offs again in 2004–05, and Challinor played in both semi-final matches against Carlisle United
Carlisle United Football Club ( , ) is a professional association football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, England. The team compete in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. They have played their home games at Brunton Par ...
, which ended in a 2–2 draw on aggregate. Challinor missed his penalty kick
A penalty shot or penalty kick is a play used in several sports whereby a goal is attempted during untimed play. Depending on the sport, when a player commits certain types of penalties, the opposition is awarded a penalty shot or kick attempt. ...
in the penalty shoot-out, before Danny Livesey scored the penalty that secured Carlisle's place in the play-off final. Having finished the season with nine goals in 44 appearances, Challinor was released by Aldershot on 18 May 2005, despite being rated as one of the best attacking midfielder
A midfielder is an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As #Cent ...
s in the Conference National
The National League, known as the Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest level of the National League System and fifth-highest of the overall English football league system. It is the highest league that is semi-profes ...
.
Exeter City
On 20 May 2005, Challinor joined Conference National club Exeter City
Exeter City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Exeter, Devon, England. The team play in , the third tier of the English football league system. Known as "the Grecians", the origin of their nickname is subject to ...
on a two-year contract. Manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includes the activities o ...
Alex Inglethorpe
Alexander Matthew Inglethorpe (born 14 November 1971) is an English former footballer who played as a forward for Watford, Leyton Orient, Exeter City and Barnet. He is now the Academy Director at Liverpool FC.
Biography
Playing career
Born in ...
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
Timothy Filiga Cahill (; born 6 December 1979) is an Australian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder but also played as a striker on many occasions. A box-to-box midfielder, Cahill became recognised for "his ag ...
of Everton. He likes to get forward and score goals, and has a good grounding in both League
League or The League may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band
* ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football
Sports
* Sports league
* Rugby league, full contact footba ...
and non-League football
Non-League football describes football leagues played outside the top leagues of a country. Usually, it describes leagues which are not fully professional. The term is primarily used for football in England, where it is specifically used to de ...
." Challinor made his debut in a 2–0 win away to Gravesend & Northfleet on 13 August 2005, before scoring his first goal on 3 September in a 2–2 away to Dagenham & Redbridge
Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club is a professional association football club based in Dagenham, Greater London, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. Often known simply as Dag ...
. He scored in a 4–0 win over former club Aldershot on 26 December 2005, 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." He finished 2005–06 with 13 goals in 48 appearances for Exeter.
Challinor was targeted by fellow Conference National club Grays Athletic
Grays Athletic Football Club is a football club based in Grays, Essex, England. They are currently members of the and play at Parkside in nearby Aveley.
History
The club was established as Grays Juniors in 1890, before merging with former S ...
in December 2006, 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
The 2006–07 Conference National play-off Final took place on 20 May 2007 and was contested between Morecambe and Exeter City. It was held at Wembley Stadium. The attendance of 40,043 was the largest for a Conference National
The National Le ...
on 20 May 2007, the first Conference play-off final to be played at the newly rebuilt Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 200 ...
. He assisted Lee Phillips' ninth-minute opening goal for Exeter, although the team went on to lose 2–1 to Morecambe
Morecambe ( ) is a seaside town and civil parish in the City of Lancaster district in Lancashire, England. It is in Morecambe Bay on the Irish Sea.
Name
The first use of the name was by John Whitaker in his ''History of Manchester'' (1771), w ...
. Challinor made 48 appearances and scored 10 goals for Exeter in 2006–07.[
]
Return to Rushden & Diamonds
Challinor returned to Conference Premier
The National League, known as the Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest level of the National League System and fifth-highest of the overall English football league system. It is the highest league that is semi-profess ...
club Rushden & Diamonds after signing a two-year contract on 28 May 2007. He made his debut in a 1–1 draw away to Woking
Woking ( ) is a town and borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in northwest Surrey, England, around from central London. It appears in Domesday Book as ''Wochinges'' and its name probably derives from that of a Anglo-Saxon settlement o ...
on 11 August 2007, before scoring his first goal in a 1–1 draw away to Salisbury City on 8 September.[ He started the season playing in ]midfield
Midfield is the part of a sports field that lies approximately in the center. In American football, association football (soccer) and field hockey, it is the area in and around the center circle, as well as the players who occupy that region. In ...
, but when being played as a striker in late February 2008 he went on a run of scoring six goals in five consecutive matches.[
He appeared for Rushden in the 2008 Conference League Cup Final against Aldershot at the ]Recreation Ground
A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are green spaces set aside for recreation inside towns and cities. N ...
on 3 April 2008.[ The match finished a 3–3 draw after extra time, but Aldershot won 4–3 in a penalty shoot-out.][ Challinor made 57 appearances and scored 10 goals for Rushden in 2007–08,][ only missing out on ever-present status after missing the last match of the season against Grays Athletic through injury.][
]
Cambridge United and Mansfield Town
He joined Conference Premier rivals Cambridge United
Cambridge United Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Cambridge, England. They compete in EFL League one , the 3rd tier of the English football league system. The club is based at the Abbey Stadium on N ...
on a two-year contract for a £15,000 fee on 6 August 2008.[ His debut came in a 1–0 win away to ]Northwich Victoria
{{Infobox UK place
, static_image_name = Northwich - Town Bridge.jpg
, static_image_caption = Town Bridge, the River Weaver and the spire of Holy Trinity Church
, official_name = Northwich
, country ...
on 9 August 2008, and scored his first goal with a stoppage time winner in a 1–0 home win over Lewes
Lewes () is the county town of East Sussex, England. It is the police and judicial centre for all of Sussex and is home to Sussex Police, East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service, Lewes Crown Court and HMP Lewes. The civil parish is the centre of ...
on 7 October 2008.[ Soon after he was told by manager ]Gary Brabin
Gary Brabin (born 9 December 1970) is an English former professional footballer, coach and manager who is the Sporting Director at Cymru Premier team The New Saints.
A midfielder with a 12-year career in the English Football League, he repres ...
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 2008,[ coming from a low right-footed shot into the corner from 25 yards.
Challinor's first sending off for Cambridge came after receiving a second ]yellow card
Yellow card may refer to:
* Yellow card (sport), shown in many sports after a rules infraction or, by analogy, a serious warning in other areas
* Yellowcard, an American alternative rock band
* Yellow Card Scheme, a United Kingdom initiative conce ...
during a 5–0 home defeat to Crawley Town
Crawley Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Crawley, West Sussex, England. The club was founded as Crawley Football Club in 1896, changed its name to Crawley Town Football Club in 1958. The team co ...
in the FA Trophy
The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a men's football knockout cup competition run by and named after the English Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams. The compet ...
second round
The second (symbol: s) is the unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), historically defined as of a day – this factor derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes and finally to 60 seconds e ...
on 14 January 2009.[ He made his return from suspension in a 1–1 home draw with ]Oxford United
Oxford United Football Club is a professional football club in the city of Oxford, England. The team plays in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The chairman is Grant Ferguson, the manager is Karl Robinson and t ...
on 29 January 2009.[ Challinor came on as a 79th-minute substitute for ]Paul Carden
Paul Andrew Carden (born 29 March 1979) is an English former professional footballer and coach, who is currently manager of Nantwich Town.
While playing at Cambridge United, Carden was also the club's assistant manager. He previously played fo ...
in the 2009 Conference Premier play-off Final at Wembley Stadium, in which Torquay United
Torquay United Football Club is a professional football club based in Torquay, Devon, England. The team currently compete in the , the fifth tier of English football. They have played their home matches at Plainmoor since 1921 and are nicknamed ...
won 2–0. Having struggled to make an impact for Cambridge in 2008–09, which he finished with two goals in 39 appearances,[ he was ]transfer list The transfer market is the arena in which football players are available for transfer to clubs.
The transfer market consists of a list of players available for transfer, and also the money moving between clubs as they contest to purchase and sell ...
ed.
He was sent out on loan for the start of 2009–10 to Cambridge's divisional rivals Forest Green Rovers
Forest Green Rovers Football Club are a professional football club based in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, England. The team compete in , the third tier of the English football league system, and have played their home games at The New Lawn since ...
for one month on 7 August 2009. Challinor made his debut the following day in a 2–1 home defeat against Kettering Town
Kettering Town Football Club is a football club based in Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire, England. They are currently members of and play at Latimer Park in Burton Latimer. Kettering were the first club to wear sponsorship on their shirts in ...
, going on to make seven appearances at Forest Green. Forest Green had been interested in taking Challinor on another loan, until appointing a new manager. He left Cambridge on loan again after joining Conference Premier rivals Mansfield Town
Mansfield Town Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in the town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England. The team competes in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. Nicknamed 'The Stags', they ...
on a two-month loan on 20 November 2009. 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 2009. After making six appearances and scoring one goal in his loan spell, Challinor signed permanently for Mansfield for the rest of the season on 6 January 2010. He was released by Mansfield at the end of 2009–10, having made 15 appearances and scored two goals after signing permanently.
Brackley Town and Newport County
Challinor signed with Southern League Premier Division club Brackley Town
Brackley Town Football Club is a Association football, football club in Brackley, Northamptonshire, England. They are currently members of and play at St. James Park. The club won the FA Trophy in 2018.
History
Established in 1890, the club sp ...
in July 2010, after he had been set to sign for Corby Town
Corby Town Football Club is a football club based in Corby, Northamptonshire, England. They are currently members of the and play at Steel Park.
History
The club was established in 1948, taking over from Stewarts & Lloyds as the main team ...
of the Conference North
The National League North, formerly Conference North, is a division of the National League in England, immediately below the National League division. Along with the National League South, it is at the second level of the National League Sy ...
, with whom he had been on trial. He then signed for Conference Premier club Newport County on a short-term contract on 30 October 2010, 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
Sam Deering (born 26 February 1991) is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder for Brentwood Town.
Playing career
Deering spent time as a youth team player with Chelsea and Charlton Athletic before joining Oxford United's academy in 2 ...
's cross in the 29th minute of extra time in a 1–0 victory away to Wealdstone
Wealdstone () is a district located in the centre of the London Borough of Harrow, England. It is located just north of Harrow town centre and is south of Harrow Weald, west of Belmont and Kenton, and east of Headstone.
The area accommodates ...
in an FA Trophy first round replay on 13 December 2010.[ He was released by Newport on 30 December 2010, having made four appearances and scored one goal for the club.][
]
Kettering Town
He joined Conference Premier club Kettering Town on a contract until the end of 2010–11
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
on 18 January 2011. Kettering were fighting against relegation
In sports leagues, promotion and relegation is a process where teams are transferred between multiple divisions based on their performance for the completed season. Leagues that use promotion and relegation systems are often called open leagues. ...
, 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
Callum Eddie Graham Wilson (born 27 February 1992) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Newcastle United and the England national team.
Early life
Wilson was born in Coventry, West Midlands. H ...
in Kettering's 2–1 loss away to Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town Football Club is a professional football club based in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, England, that in the 2022–23 season will compete in , the fourth tier of the English football league system, following the victory in ...
. His first goal for Kettering came in stoppage time against Southport
Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. At the 2001 census, it had a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England.
Southport lies on the Irish ...
in a 3–1 home victory on 30 April 2011, having entered the match in the 89th minute. Challinor finished the season with 14 appearances and one goal for Kettering. He agreed to stay at Kettering ahead of 2011–12 on non-contract terms, in the belief that a permanent contract would later be agreed, and started the season playing as a defensive midfielder
A midfielder is an outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
.[
]
York City
On 25 August 2011, Challinor signed for Kettering's Conference Premier rivals York City
York City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of York, North Yorkshire, England. As of the 2022–23 season, the team compete in the National League, at the fifth tier of the English football league sys ...
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
Fleetwood Town Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Fleetwood, Lancashire. Established in 1997, the current Fleetwood Town F.C. is the fourth incarnation of the club; it was originally formed in ...
.[ Challinor was soon converted into a ]right back
In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield position whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring.
Centre-backs are usually positioned in pairs, with one full-back on either s ...
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 2011 with a drilled shot into the bottom right corner of the goal from the edge of the penalty area
The penalty area or 18-yard box (also known less formally as the penalty box or simply box) is an area of an association football pitch. It is rectangular and extends 16.5m (18 yd) to each side of the goal and 16.5m (18 yd) in front of it.
Wit ...
.[
He signed a new contract with York until the end of the 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 2012. Eight days later he again played at Wembley Stadium to win promotion to League Two
The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football Lea ...
through the 2012 Conference Premier play-off Final with a 2–1 victory over Luton Town
Luton Town Football Club () is a professional association football club based in the town of Luton, Bedfordshire, England, that competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1885, it is nicknam ...
. Thus, Challinor was successful in achieving promotion to the Football League in his fourth appearance in a Conference Premier play-off final. Having made 51 appearances and scored three goals for York in 2011–12,[ he signed a new one-year contract with the club in July 2012.
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
In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
first round
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...
match away to Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. The team compete in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. The club play their home games at ...
on 11 August 2012 as an 87th-minute substitute for McLaughlin. York lost 4–2 in a penalty shoot-out after a 1–1 extra time draw, although Challinor was successful in converting his penalty. He finished 2012–13
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
with 22 appearances[ before being released by York on 30 April 2013.
]
Return to Stamford and FC Halifax Town
Challinor re-signed for Stamford in August 2013, after playing for the Northern Premier League
The Northern Premier League is an English football league that was founded in 1968. It has four divisions: the Premier Division (which stands at level 7 of the English football league system), Division One East, Division One West and Divisio ...
Premier Division club during pre-season. After impressive performances throughout December 2013, 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
FC Halifax Town is a professional association football club based in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. They currently compete in and play at the Shay. They replaced Halifax Town A.F.C., which went into administration in the 2007–08 season. ...
on 7 January 2014. He made his debut in a 0–0 draw away to Wrexham
Wrexham ( ; cy, Wrecsam; ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the count ...
on 11 January 2014.[ Challinor made five appearances for Halifax before resuming playing for Stamford in February 2014.][ He played in the final of the ]Lincolnshire Senior Cup
The Lincolnshire Senior County Cup is a football (soccer) competition for senior football clubs in Lincolnshire organised by the Lincolnshire FA.
The competition can be traced back to the formation of the Lincolnshire FA at a meeting held at th ...
as Stamford beat Brigg Town 5–4 in a penalty shoot-out following a 3–3 draw after extra time on 29 April 2014.[ Challinor took over as ]caretaker manager
In association footballing terms, a caretaker manager or interim manager is somebody who takes temporary charge of the management of a football team, usually when the regular Manager (association football), manager is dismissed or leaves for a ...
of Stamford on 5 November 2015, following the sacking of Andrew Wilson. He remained in charge until the appointment of Graham Drury as manager on 12 November 2015. He had made 30 appearances and scored 2 goals in all competitions by the time the 2019–20 season was abandoned and results expunged because of the COVID-19 pandemic in England
The COVID-19 pandemic was first confirmed to have spread to England with two cases among Chinese nationals staying in a hotel in York on 31 January 2020. The two main public bodies responsible for health in England are NHS England and Public ...
.
International career
Challinor was capped
In sport, a cap is a player's appearance in a game at international level. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of rugby football and association football. In the ea ...
twice by the England National Game XI
The England national football C team (previously known as the England National Game XI and the England Semi-Pro national team) is the football team that represents England at non-league level.
Formed in 1979 as the England Non-League team, it f ...
, the team that represents England at non-League level, making his debut against Belgium on 4 November 2003 before making his second appearance against Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
on 11 February 2004.
Career statistics
Managerial statistics
[
]
Honours
York City
*Conference Premier
The National League, known as the Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest level of the National League System and fifth-highest of the overall English football league system. It is the highest league that is semi-profess ...
play-offs: 2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
*FA Trophy
The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a men's football knockout cup competition run by and named after the English Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams. The compet ...
: 2011–12
Stamford
*Lincolnshire Senior Cup
The Lincolnshire Senior County Cup is a football (soccer) competition for senior football clubs in Lincolnshire organised by the Lincolnshire FA.
The competition can be traced back to the formation of the Lincolnshire FA at a meeting held at th ...
: 2013–14,[ 2014–15][
]
References
External links
Profile
at the Stamford A.F.C. website
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Challinor, Jon
1980 births
Living people
Footballers from Northampton
English footballers
England semi-pro international footballers
Association football defenders
Association football midfielders
Rushden & Diamonds F.C. players
Stamford A.F.C. players
Cambridge City F.C. players
Kalamazoo Kingdom players
St Albans City F.C. players
Aldershot Town F.C. players
Exeter City F.C. players
Cambridge United F.C. players
Forest Green Rovers F.C. players
Mansfield Town F.C. players
Brackley Town F.C. players
Newport County A.F.C. players
Kettering Town F.C. players
York City F.C. players
FC Halifax Town players
Southern Football League players
Isthmian League players
USL League Two players
National League (English football) players
English Football League players
Northern Premier League players
English football managers
Stamford A.F.C. managers
Northern Premier League managers
English expatriate footballers
Expatriate soccer players in the United States
English expatriate sportspeople in the United States