This season Lincoln City will play in the second tier of English football for the first time since 1961, and their EFL Championship fixtures have now been released.
The 2026/27 campaign will mark a historic season for the Imps regardless of where they finish, but in an ideal world the side will carry over their phenomenal form from last term that saw them top SkyBet League One on 103 points.
Lincolnshire’s best footballing outfit are also currently on a record breaking 29-game unbeaten run domestically, entering the Championship on top form.
However since then, head coach Michael Skubala jumped ship to join league rivals Bristol City, with the Imps quickly deciding to have former assistant head coaches, Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw, lead the dugout for the new campaign.
With that being said, let’s take a look at the key games to look out for as Lincoln City take on their first ever season in the Championship.
First five:
City begin their Championship journey at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday, August 15 as they take on a Middlesbrough side that just narrowly missed out on promotion last season, falling short in the play-off final as they were defeated 1-0 by Hull City.
Their first home game of the season follows as they welcome John Mousinho’s Portsmouth team to the LNER Stadium the following week on Saturday, August 22.
A trip to Greater Manchester is up next for the Imps as they take on fellow-promoted side Bolton Wanderers in a key game that will give City an idea of what they will be fighting for in the 43 games to come.
Into September, Lincoln will host Blackburn Rovers on the first of the month and former Premier League regulars Southampton on Saturday, September 5.
Bolton came up with the Imps through the play-offs so will certainly be a game they will be looking to win, while Portsmouth and Blackburn both found themselves flirting with the drop zone last term.
An important run
Along with the opening five games, another run of matches that will provide Lincoln the chance to pick up some valuable points will be their December fixtures.
The month begins with a trip to the Imps’ League One title rivals Cardiff City, and with City able to beat the Welsh outfit on both occasions last season – Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw’s side will certainly be looking at the fixture as one they can capitalise on.
Home games against Stoke City and Norwich City follow, with those teams finishing 17th and 9th respectively last season. While a return to the LNER Stadium for Jovon Makama is also something to look forward to for Imps fans when they host the Canaries.
Next up is a clash against Derby County at Pride Park Stadium, before the Imps lock horns with West Bromwich Albion in a crucial game at Sincil Bank on Boxing Day, which will likely be marked as a must win game for City as they take on the side that finished 21st last season.
They then face a tight turnover to complete the festive period, having to travel to recently relegated Burnley on Tuesday, December 29 and then Norwich once again on Friday, January 1.
The run in
Lincoln City’s run in begins with two back-to-back home fixtures against Derby County and Michael Skubala’s Bristol City in early April.
Their first of the final five matches begins with a trip to Southampton on Saturday, April 10, before facing Bolton exactly a week later at the LNER Stadium.
Trips to Blackburn and Stoke will then come next on Wednesday, April 21 and Saturday, April 24 respectively – before hosting Charlton Athletic in their final game of the season on Saturday, May 1.