Hartlepool boss Dave Challinor pays tribute to former Tottenham Hotspur defender Justin Edinburgh ahead of trip to Leyton Orient

Hartlepool United boss Dave Challinor admits he holds a special connection with Saturday’s opponents Leyton Orient.
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Pools travel to Brisbane road tomorrow looking to continue their fine return to the Football League by securing back-to-back away wins for the first time in 12 months in the league.

But for Pools boss Challinor there is an added emotion to the weekend’s trip to Leyton Orient, one of sadness.

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Two years ago, having suffered heartbreak in the National League promotion final at Wembley Stadium against Salford City, Challinor returned to the national stadium with his AFC Fylde side eight days later to take on then National League champions Leyton Orient, managed by former Tottenham Hotspur defender Justin Edinburgh.

Dave Challinor went head-to-head with Justin Edinburgh as AFC Fylde boss in the FA Trophy final with Leyton Orient. (Credit: Mark Fletcher | MI News)Dave Challinor went head-to-head with Justin Edinburgh as AFC Fylde boss in the FA Trophy final with Leyton Orient. (Credit: Mark Fletcher | MI News)
Dave Challinor went head-to-head with Justin Edinburgh as AFC Fylde boss in the FA Trophy final with Leyton Orient. (Credit: Mark Fletcher | MI News)

Challinor’s Fylde would beat the O’s by Danny Rowe’s solitary goal to win the FA Trophy and restore a little bit of joy to their season while Orient would look ahead to making their return to the Football League after a two year absence.

But tragically, Edinburgh would not be the man to lead the O’s out on the opening day of the League Two season in August. The 49-year-old suffered a cardiac arrest just weeks after that FA Trophy final before passing away. Challinor was the last manager Edinburgh went up against in the dugout.

“They’ve had to change managers through different reasons. Justin went in there and did a brilliant job and got them promoted and from my perspective there’s still a real connection with Leyton Orient because we beat them in the FA Trophy final and that was Justin’s last game as a manager,” said Challinor.

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“So with that comes huge sadness, and that was a big thing for their football club in a time when they were really on a good run and on a positive footing.”

Dave Challinor takes his Hartlepool United side to Leyton Orient this weekend. (Credit: Mark Fletcher | MI News)Dave Challinor takes his Hartlepool United side to Leyton Orient this weekend. (Credit: Mark Fletcher | MI News)
Dave Challinor takes his Hartlepool United side to Leyton Orient this weekend. (Credit: Mark Fletcher | MI News)

Edinburgh, who also had spells with Newport County, Gillingham and Northampton Town in management, was at the forefront of Orient’s success after a number of turbulent years at Brisbane Road following their relegation from League One in 2015.

Arriving in 2017 with the club 20th in the National League table, just three points above the relegation zone, Edinburgh was able to halt their slide and maintained their league status before soaring to the National League title the following season.

But it was not just on the field where Edinburgh got things right for Leyton Orient, it was off the field too as he united a broken fanbase who were allowed to set their sights on a return to the Football League and dream of pushing further up the leagues back to where they once were.

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The journey of the football club, in that sense, is not too dissimilar to that of Hartlepool.

Hartlepool United are looking to make it back-to-back away wins against Leyton Orient. (Credit: Mark Fletcher | MI News)Hartlepool United are looking to make it back-to-back away wins against Leyton Orient. (Credit: Mark Fletcher | MI News)
Hartlepool United are looking to make it back-to-back away wins against Leyton Orient. (Credit: Mark Fletcher | MI News)

Both clubs came within touching distance of making it to the Championship before devastating play-off final losses, Pools losing in extra-time to Sheffield Wednesday in 2005 while Orient would surrender a two goal lead before losing on penalties to Rotherham United in 2014.

And both clubs have since tumbled down the divisions and subsequently out of the Football League altogether with financial uncertainty and a disparity between the club and its supporters plaguing each club.

But both have managed to find a light at the end of the tunnel and have begun their redemption in recent years, climbing back into the Football League and now competing at the right end of the League Two table. It is something Challinor believes both sets of supporters will be able to relate to when the two sides meet in front of what is expected to be a bumper crowd at Brisbane Road.

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“It’s an interesting one. It’s two clubs that are similar in terms of how things have gone,” the Pools boss explained.

“They’ve stabilised and they’ve gone again and they’ll be hoping they can get back into League One where they were previously but you’ve only got to go back five or six years with Leyton Orient to where they were on the brink of a promotion to the Championship.

“They were in front in a play-off final then all of a sudden don’t win that game and get a couple of relegations and end up in the National League.

“They’ve rebuilt and got themselves on a sound footing in terms of investment and it’s a club in the centre of London so in terms of area and catchment it’s pretty popular.

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“In terms of infrastructure they’re a League One club,” Challinor added.

“They’ve got them aspirations to match that, so as a football club we’re probably slightly behind them in terms of our plan and infrastructure wise, and where we potentially want to get to, but we’re playing on a level playing field.”

And when it comes down to the 90-minutes at Brisbane Road tomorrow, Challinor is expecting another tough examination for his players with Orient just three points behind his side in the League Two table.

“On Saturday, regardless of where the clubs are on the pitch or off the pitch, there’s three points up for grabs.

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“It’s a really tough game but a great game to play in. They’ve done an offer on tickets and it’s sold-out and we’ve sold a good portion of tickets ourselves so I’m sure the place will be bouncing.

“Having played there previously, it’s the type of ground where the atmosphere is really good and it'll be another really good challenge for us.

“We’re close to each other in the table and we want to make sure they don’t jump over and jump ahead of us come 5 o’clock on Saturday night.

“Football moves on quickly. We’re in a position where we know that if we’re not at it then the win against Harrogate gets forgotten about if we get beat on Saturday.”

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