Jon Challinor

Jon Challinor (born 2 December 1980) is an English semi-professional footballer who plays as a defender or midfielder for club Stamford.

He has played in the Football League for York City.

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.

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 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 with the Kalamazoo Kingdom in the American USL Premier Development League.

Challinor returned to England after joining Isthmian League 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 in the Herts Charity Cup 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 first round defeat to Second Division team Stockport County 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.

After being released by St Albans, Challinor signed for Football Conference club Aldershot Town on 8 August 2003, having appeared for them in pre-season.

He made his debut in a 2–1 home win over Accrington Stanley 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 a 2–0 home defeat to Margate on 20 December 2003 he was given a three-match suspension, making his return in a 4–0 defeat away to Farnborough on 24 January 2004.

His 2003–04 season with Aldershot finished having scored 13 goals in 48 appearances.

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 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.

Aldershot qualified for the play-offs again in 2004–05, and Challinor played in both semi-final matches against Carlisle United, which ended in a 2–2 draw on aggregate.

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.

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 midfielders in the Conference National.

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."

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.

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 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 in the 2007 Conference National play-off final defeat before returning to Rushden in 2007.

He married his wife Lara in 2007.

As Challinor is a fan of the Star Wars films, The Imperial March was played as part of the ceremony.

Challinor began his career in the youth system at Rushden & Diamonds.

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 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.

Challinor was born in Northampton, Northamptonshire.