Sunderland, Ipswich & Portsmouth: Odds, miles, grounds and last meetings for our opponents next season

May 27, 2019 Gary League One, Lincoln City 0

Courtesy Graham Burrell

Yesterday the final place in our division was decided, with Sunderland confirmed as opponents for the Imps next season.

It’s an odd turn of events, three of the biggest clubs we’ve played in the FA Cup over the last 20 years are now on equal terms with us. We lost 4-0 to then Premier League Bolton in 2010, 1-0 at home to Sunderland in 1999 before they went on to become champions of the second tier and of course, Ipswich Town.

Burnley, Arsenal, Brighton and Everton have all better watch their backs!

Without going into too much depth, the new-look League One is outlined below. All we’ve done on this rather tempestuous Bank Holiday Monday is look at current odds, ground, distance and capacity as well as the last time we met this particular team in League action.

Here are some ‘interesting’ observations. Of the 23 sides we’ll meet, there are only four teams who we came out on top against in our last encounter; Coventry, MK Dons, Southend and Doncaster. Two of the sides we meet put six past us last time we met in the league, Shrewsbury and Rotherham, although we did get one over on the Shrews at Wembley.

If you were to go to every away game, your total distance covered there and back would be 5604 miles with an estimated travel time of 98 hours and 26 minutes, depending on traffic. Oddly, that’s how long it took Shane’s minibus to get us back from Port Vale last season.

 

Sunderland – 4/1

Manager: Jack Ross

Ground: Stadium of Light

Capacity 49,000

Distance from Sincil Bank: 148 miles (2hrs 37minutes)

Last meeting: 14/01/61 Imps 1-2 Sunderland 

Courtesy Graham Burrell

Ipswich Town – 6/1

Manager: Paul Lambert

Ground: Portman Road

Capacity 30,311

Distance from Sincil Bank: 147 miles (2hrs 37minutes)

Last meeting: 15/04/61 – Imps 1-4 Ipswich

Portsmouth – 8/1

Manager: Kenny Jackett

Ground: Fratton Park

Capacity 21,100

Distance from Sincil Bank: 212 miles (3hrs 47mins)

Last meeting: 16/02/83 Imps 0-3 Portsmouth

Rotherham – 10/1

Manager: Paul Warne

Ground: New York Stadium

Capacity 12,021

Distance from Sincil Bank: 44 miles (1hrs 8mins)

Last meeting: 25/03/2011 Imps 0-6 Rotherham

Lincoln City – 14/1

Bit short that for me….

Courtesy of Graham Burrell

Peterborough – 16/1

Manager: Darren Ferguson

Ground: London Road

Capacity 15,314

Distance from Sincil Bank: 65 miles (1hrs 16mins)

Last meeting: 29/03/2008 Peterborough 4-0 Imps

Burton Albion – 20/1

Manager: Nigel Clough

Ground: Pirelli Stadium

Capacity 6,912

Distance from Sincil Bank: 63 miles (1hrs 25mins)

Last meeting: 08/03/2011 Burton 3-1 Imps

Coventry City – 20/1

Manager: Mark Robins

Ground: St Andrews (groundshare with Birmingham City)

Capacity 29,409

Distance from Sincil Bank: 87 miles (1hrs 48mins)

Last meeting: 24/04/2018  Coventry 2-4 Imps

Doncaster – 20/1

Manager: Grant McCann

Ground: Keepmoat Stadium

Capacity 15,231

Distance from Sincil Bank: 41 miles (58mins)

Last meeting: 23/01/2004 Doncaster 0-2 Imps

Fleetwood Town – 20/1

Manager: Joey Barton

Ground: Highbury Stadium

Capacity 5,327

Distance from Sincil Bank: 154 miles (2hrs 51mins)

Last meeting: 13/04/2012 Fleetwood 2-2 Imps (Blue Square Premier)

Oxford United – 20/1

Manager: Karl Robinson

Ground: Kassam Stadium

Capacity 12,500

Distance from Sincil Bank: 133 miles (2hrs 23mins)

Last meeting: 30/04/2011 Oxford 2-1 Imps

 

Bolton – 22/1

Manager: Phil Parkinson

Ground: University of Bolton Stadium

Capacity 28,723

Distance from Sincil Bank: 116 miles (2hrs 04mins)

Last meeting: 25/03/1985 Imps 1-1 Bolton

Courtesy Graham Burrell

MK Dons – 25/1

Manager: Paul Tisdale

Ground: Stadium MK

Capacity 30,500

Distance from Sincil Bank: 107 miles (1hrs 58mins, or about six hours in Shane’s minibus)

Last meeting: 06/04/2019 MK Dons 0-2 Imps

Blackpool – 28/1

Manager: Terry McPhillips

Ground: Bloomfield Road

Capacity 17,338

Distance from Sincil Bank: 150 miles (2hrs 34mins)

Last meeting: 17/02/2001 Blackpool 2-0 Imps

Bristol Rovers – 33/1

Manager: Graham Coughlan

Ground: Memorial Stadium

Capacity 12,296

Distance from Sincil Bank: 178 miles (3hrs 06mins)

Last meeting: 17/02/2015  Bristol Rovers 2-0 Imps (National League)

Rochdale – 33/1

Manager: Brian Barry-Murphy

Ground: Spotland

Capacity 10,294

Distance from Sincil Bank: 100 miles (1hrs 59mins)

Last meeting: 06/03/2010 – Rochdale 1-1 Imps

Shrewsbury – 33/1

Manager: Sam Rickett

Ground: New Meadow

Capacity 9,875

Distance from Sincil Bank: 120 miles (2hrs 23mins)

Last meeting: 08/02/2011 Imps 1-6 Shrewsbury

Southend – 33/1

Manager: Kevin Bond

Ground: Roots Hall

Capacity 12,392

Distance from Sincil Bank: 162 miles (2hrs 56mins)

Last meeting: 12/03/2011 Imps 2-1 Southend

Tranmere – 33/1

Manager: Mickey Mellon

Ground: Prenton Park

Capacity 16,587

Distance from Sincil Bank: 141 miles (2hrs 35mins)

Last meeting: 22/04/2019 Imps 0-0 Tranmere

Courtesy of Graham Burrell

AFC Wimbledon – 40/1

Manager: Wally Downes

Ground: Kingsmeadow

Capacity 4,850

Distance from Sincil Bank: 150 miles (3hrs 24mins)

Last meeting: 14/04/1984 Imps 1-2 Wimbledon (no arguments here either please)

Wycombe – 40/1

Manager: Gareth Ainsworth

Ground: Adams Park

Capacity 10,137

Distance from Sincil Bank: 147 miles (2hrs 37mins)

Last meeting: 17/04.2018 Imps 0-0 Wycombe

Accrington Stanley – 66/1

Manager: John Coleman

Ground: Crown Ground

Capacity 5,450

Distance from Sincil Bank: 122 miles (2hrs 23mins)

Last meeting: 28/04/2018 Accrington 1-0 Imps

Gillingham – 66/1

Manager: Evans

Ground: Priestfield Stadium

Capacity 11,582

Distance from Sincil Bank: 170 miles (3hrs 22mins)

Last meeting: 29/04/2011 Imps 0-4 Gillingham

Bury – 80/1

Manager: Ryan Lowe, for now

Ground: Gigg Lane

Capacity 11,840

Distance from Sincil Bank: 108 miles (2hrs 16mins)

Last meeting: 2/01/2019 Bury 3-3 Imps