Hartlepool United legend reunites with Dave Challinor at Stockport County
Hartlepool United legend Antony Sweeney has taken up a new role as part of Stockport County's coaching staff.
Sweeney, who is regarded as one of Hartlepool's greatest ever players, has been out of work following his departure from Crawley in March. The 41-year-old, who made 444 appearances at Victoria Park and is the club's fourth highest appearance maker of all-time, had followed manager Rob Elliot from Gateshead to West Sussex in October 2024, only for Elliot to be sacked after winning just six of his 33 games in charge.
It was perhaps only a matter of time before Sweeney reunited with Stockport boss Dave Challinor after the pair formed a close relationship working alongside one another at Victoria Park. Having spent 13 years as a player at Pools, helping the club to two promotions, Sweeney returned as a youth development coach in 2016. In January 2019, Sweeney joined Craig Hignett's first team backroom staff before being appointed caretaker manager following Hignett's sacking in October - a role he would go on to fulfill on four different occasions. Having been tipped to get the job on a permanent basis, Sweeney returned to his former role as first team coach after Challinor took charge in November 2019. Challinor's appointment heralded one of the most successful periods in the club's recent history, with Pools winning promotion back to the Football League in 2021.
Challinor left Pools to take over at Stockport, who he has since led from the National League to the top end of League One, leaving Sweeney to take interim charge once again. He signed a long-term contract in March 2022 that would see him continue to work with the first team, while also helping to develop the club's burgeoning academy; when Kevin Phillips was appointed manager in January 2024, Sweeney was named as one of his assistants, alongside veteran Lennie Lawrence. Sweeney, who remains a hugely popular figure at Victoria Park, left Pools in the summer of 2024 after more than two decades of distinguished service as new manager Darren Sarll reshuffled his backroom staff.
Sweeney now reunites with Challinor following the departure of Stockport's first team coach Andy Mangan, who left to become Davide Ancelotti's assistant manager at Brazilian club Botafogo in July. Stockport, who were beaten in last season's League One play-off semi-finals, losing to Leyton Orient on penalties, made a winning start to the new campaign on Sunday, beating Bolton 2-0.
"As soon as Mangs (Andy Mangan) left the club, I only really had one person in mind to replace him," Challinor told Stockport's official club website.
"Sweens is someone who I spoke about bringing to the club when I first moved here from Hartlepool, but logistics at the time didn't work.
"I've spoken to him pretty much every week over my time here and he's now had an experience of League One, so he comes in better prepared than previously. He's a great coach, has real enthusiasm, wants to win and will undoubtedly add to our group and has already fitted in seamlessly."