"I played in the last Championship game that Stockport County played (a 2-0 loss at Norwich in 2002) - from that point on the supporters have been through relegations, promotions, administration but since the owners came in six years ago everything has been on the up again," Challinor said.
Challinor concluded by stating that while outsiders might find their presence in the final surprising, it was always the internal expectation.
"When I first came here you might say you're surprised we've got to this stage but it was part of the owners' plan when they first came into the football club," Challinor said.
According to historical data provided by the BBC, Stockport holds a strong recent record against Bolton, winning three of their last four meetings while keeping clean sheets in each victory.
However, Stockport enters the fixture with a historically poor record at Wembley, having lost five of their seven previous appearances at the national stadium.
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Bolton Wanderers enter their 16th competitive match at Wembley Stadium following a defensive milestone in the semi-finals against Bradford City, where they advanced through the round without conceding a single goal for the first time in their play-off history.
