The Nine Teams Lincoln City Will Definitely Be Playing Next Season

Preston North End

For me, Preston are old friends we’re going to be reacquainted with. We played them in my first season as a fan, 86/87, and then in five of the ten seasons during the 90s. Our last meetings weren’t great: they netted nine in two games against us in 1998/99, winning 5-0 at their place, and 4-3 at the Bank after we led 3-1 with 20 minutes to go.

They’re 16th, 57 points which is 13 off the drop and 12 off the play-offs, so they’re definitely Championship next season. They’re safe from a relegation battle, but finishing 20th last season was their weakest in a while. They’ve been in the second tier for 10 seasons, with seventh their best finish, and 20th the poorest.

Paul Heckingbottom is their current manager, and former Imp Mike Pollitt is their keeper coach.

Queens Park Rangers

I have never known us to play QPR, because we’ve only met six times throughout history. While we were Second Division in the fifties, they were a Division Three side, but in recent seasons, they’ve been in the top two divisions. They’ve only had three seasons in the third tier in my lifetime, and were a stalwart of the top flight during the eighties.

We lost 4-2 in the League Cup in 1972, and were beaten 5-0 in April 1962, the last time they came to the Bank. Their Loftus Road ground is one I’m excited to visit as a fan, with a capacity of 18,400.

Currently, the Hoops are managed by Julien Stéphan, but they are constant underachievers in the division. They’ve had ten seasons in the Championship, and only once finished above 10th place. This season, they’re 11th, but on 58 points, so part of the inconsequential middle pack.

Playing them will see us face Illias Chair again, a player who tormented us while on loan at Stevenage in 2018/19. They also have Kwame Poku and Richard Kone, strong League One players from recent seasons, as well as Justin Obikwu, recalled by Coventry to be sold to them this summer. He has yet to feature for them.

Sheffield United

Old friends? Sure, we faced them a few times in the fifties, and in back-to-back seasons in the eighties, but our recent clashes have been cup ties. As a Premier League team, we knocked them out of the League Cup in 2023/24, but they put six past us in 2000/01, rendering our second-leg 1-0 win nothing more than a source of slight pride. Our last league win came in May 1983, Glenn Cockerill bagging our winner.

Visiting Bramall Lane will be fun, but getting to meet up with South Yorkshire Police will not be, as they’re famous for being difficult. Bramall Lane is a better away day than Hillsborough, holding 32,000 fans, it should be quite an occasion.

The Blades have bounced around the top two divisions for a while, fresh off the back of a six-season stay in League One, which matches our stay in the National League, 2011 to 2017. They’re managed by Chris Wilder once again, and are sure to be a much stronger force in 2025/26.

We can expect to come up against Ryan Oné who will likely feature for them next season. Keeper Adam Davies probably won’t feature, but will be remembered by City fans for throwing Lukas Jensen’s drinks bottle, complete with penalty advice, in the 2023 League Cup game.