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
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….
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
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
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