Joe Ramage: Dave Challinor rises above the parapet of 'muck-throwing' as Hartlepool United chapter can finally be closed

Back in the summer, when the fixtures were released, the first port of call was to learn when Challinor would make his return to the North East – Challinor himself recently admitting both Hartlepool fixtures were the first he took notice of.

At that point, there remained plenty of anger and frustration aimed towards the 47-year-old.

Hartlepool supporters were hurting and still felt a sense of wrongdoing after he walked out on the club just three months into their Football League return.

As time has eroded away, so too might some of those emotions towards Challinor.

And as Hartlepool bow out of the Football League, maybe this was a line in the sand moment for all parties.

The disparity between Challinor’s success as a manager and Hartlepool’s decline as a club since could scarcely be further apart. The chasm between the two could, potentially, be two leagues should Stockport County go on to achieve play-off success.

And while he may not have been the one to hammer the final nail into Hartlepool’s maligned coffin this season, ironically, after all of the hard work he and his staff put into getting the club back into the Football League, he was the one waving it goodbye as such at the end of the League Two season.

Challinor remains somewhat remorseful at how things came to an end with Hartlepool. It’s why he was pleased to have the opportunity to thank supporters on his return to the Suit Direct Stadium, those who remained, after Stockport’s 5-0 win in December.

He spoke fondly of his time at Hartlepool ahead of the meeting at Edgeley Park, he often does.

Those two years remain special to him despite the success he has gone on to achieve elsewhere.

You only need to take a peek into his office to see how much he cherishes some of the memories he forged with Hartlepool as, despite his position as Stockport boss, pictures of his time at Hartlepool greet him every day at work.

And you could sense that in his recent response to chairman Raj Singh’s comments about his final days at Hartlepool, where he refrained from becoming entangled in a war of words.

“I completely understand the disappointment, animosity, and disgruntlement that supporters felt when I moved across here,” Challinor explained in an interview with BBC Radio Tees.

“Football is all about opinions and they’re quite entitled to that whether they’ve got the truth, part of the truth or none of the truth.

“Since I left the club there’s been lots of things said. I think it’s important from my perspective that I keep my integrity in terms of what I say.”

Challinor was able to share another brief moment with Hartlepool supporters following Monday's 1-1 draw before leaving them to mourn their season in their own way.

But the way in which he has approached both fixtures this season, and been able to rise above the parapet of what he called ‘muck-throwing’ should be commended.

Deep down he feels Hartlepool’s pain. How could he not after what he achieved here?

Maybe now, as the two part ways, and leagues, this chapter can, finally, be laid to rest.