The Nine Teams Lincoln City Will Definitely Be Playing Next Season

There is still a lot to decide across the leagues, but one thing is for certain: Lincoln City will be in the Championship next season.

It still feels a little surreal, the mighty Imps in the second tier, visiting some of the country’s best sides. We’ll face a host of teams we haven’t played in the league in my lifetime, and that roster is yet to be finalised. We keep signing ‘Tottenham away’, but it’s not certain it will be them, West Ham, Wolves or Burnley, not yet.

It will be Wolves and Burnley, but the maths don’t quite agree, not right now.

Which clubs are we certain of playing next season, without a shadow of a doubt? Here is the rundown of all the clubs guaranteed second-tier status for 2026/27.

Birmingham City

You wait years for Birmingham in the league, and then they’re just like old friends. The Blues beat us three times in League One last season, but their triumphant return to the second tier has gone with a whimper, not a bang. They’re 14th, 13 points clear of the drop, 12 shy of the top six. We’d take that!

They’re still managed by Chris Davies, but the squad has been reshaped a lot since we last saw them. Former Imp Ryan Allsop does still feature on the bench.

We’ll be looking for our first victory over the Blues since 1910 when we face off next season.

Bristol City

Bristol City are tenth in the Championship, but 11 points behind Hull City with just nine to play for, so we’ll be seeing them next season.

The last time we went to Ashton Gate, we won 3-1 in the cup, and it seemed to signal the upturn in Mark Kennedy’s reign. An upturn that never came, by the way, but it was still a great night for the club. That was the first meeting between the clubs since the 1985/86 season, when the Robins were in Division Three after a couple of relegations. They were regular opponents of ours in the old Second Division, the last time we were at this level.

They’re currently managed by Roy Hodgson, but will have a new boss next season, and play at the 27,000 capacity Ashton Gate. Among the current squad are former Imps targets Luke McNally and Sinclair Armstrong, both players our recruitment team looked into. They also have former Imps Rob Dickie, and Sam Bell, the player who bagged twice against us for Wycombe this season.

Cardiff City

You know all there is to know about Cardiff City. They’re our current rivals for the League One title, and we’ve done the double over them this season. Our win there at the beginning of March is going to be remembered as a key moment in the season.

They’re likely to finish second in League One, but were assured promotion courtesy of Jack Walton’s goal for Exeter against Stockport. Walton, a keeper, scored to ensure Cardiff celebrated promotion away at Reading, just as we did.