Anxious wait for Wembley winner

JON Challinor faces an agonising wait to discover if he will get the chance to realise his dream and play in the Football League.

Yaxley-based Challinor was part of the York City team that beat Luton 2-1 at Wembley in last Sunday’s Blue Square Premier Division Playoff final to secure a place in League Two.

The win means York are back in the Football League again for the first time in eight years and concluded a remarkable season for the 31 year-old defender who also helped the Minstermen land the FA Trophy against Newport County the week before.

But despite his efforts, Challinor’s

james.westgate@jpress.co.uk future at the club remains unclear as he is yet to be offered a contract extension for next season.

He said: “It was great to finally be on the winning side after losing three play-off finals during my career. We felt good going into the game and we had a lot of confidence after beating Newport at Wembley.

“I think it means we have become the first team to win both the FA Trophy and the play-off final but the big one was securing our place in the Football League. I have been close a few times but at 31 this could be the first chance I get to play at that level.

“And hopefully that will happen, but it is a strange feeling at the moment as my contract ran out at the end of the season so I don’t have a deal at the moment. It is all up in the air but hopefully I should know in the next few weeks.”

And Challinor has probably earned his shot at the big time after a career spent in the highest echelon of non-league football with eight different clubs including Rushden, Forest Green, Mansfield, Newport and Kettering.

“Playing League football is what it is all about and it would be great for me to get the chance at this stage of my career,” he added.

“Hopefully I have got a few years left in me and I am confident this York team can do well.

“If you look at what Exeter and Stevenage have gone on to do there is no reason to think that we could not do the same with this team.

“We like to play passing football and teams that have that approach have done well in League Two.

“Hopefully I can be a part of that and help the club build on this and push on again next season.”