Joe Ramage: Return of The King - Dave Challinor's Hartlepool United return will be emotive ahead of Stockport County clash

But after an upturn in form from Stockport County in recent weeks, former Hartlepool United manager Dave Challinor has been able to stave off any potential wolves at the door at Edgeley Park to ensure he will make his return to the Suit Direct Stadium: the return of ‘The King.’

It’s the fixture which will have been circled in most Hartlepool diaries when the schedule was released back in June.

When does Challinor return?

At that time, the hopes and expectations were that the scenarios of the two clubs might have been reversed, with Hartlepool in mid-table and Stockport towards the bottom.

But, such has been the struggle for Hartlepool since Challinor’s departure, it’s they who find themselves in desperate need of a lift heading into his return.

‘Challinor’s better than Mourinho, here we go-oh, up the Football League we go.’ Those were the words which often reverberated around the Suit Direct Stadium on a match day, and anytime Status Quo’s ‘Rockin’ All Over The World’ was played around the town of Hartlepool.

Challinor’s stock could not have been higher given the meteoric rise up the National League table with promotion back into the Football League.

And, despite frustrations in the summer transfer window, Challinor was able to continue on a similar trajectory in League Two before the club suffered its titanic moment when he made the abrupt decision to leave for Stockport 13 months ago.

Hartlepool were 10th in the League Two table at the time, outside the play-off places by only goal difference. They finished the season in 17th place, 23 points adrift of seventh place having won as many games in the remaining 31 fixtures as Challinor had in his opening 15 games of the season.

Would Challinor have been able to keep his side on pace with the play-off pack? It’s hard to say. Would they have tailed off quite so much had he stayed? You can make your own assumptions.

But the hangover of Challinor’s exit has been submerged around the club ever since. Just nine wins in 50 league games have followed, 43 points from a possible 150. That total, across a 46 game season, would see Hartlepool relegated from League Two in eight of the last 12 seasons.

Although Challinor’s Stockport are not pulling up any trees per se, his return will be a reminder as to what might have been at Hartlepool ahead of the January transfer window.

Had Challinor made his return on this date 12 months ago, the reception he would receive may have been a little different, and a little more vitriolic, to the one he may get this weekend.

They often say time is the biggest healer and that may well be the case as Hartlepool fans can now reflect on the job Challinor did at their club.

Returns happen most weekends in football up and down the country, whether it be players or managers heading back to former clubs. But Challinor’s imminent return feels a little different.

It will be emotive. There was a bond there unlike many you get in football. His exit hurt Hartlepool. The hope is his Stockport side don’t inflict more damage to them this season.