Before beginning their first ever EFL Championship season, Lincoln City must work their way through a gruelling and action-packed pre-season schedule.
That will give them a range of tests from a variety of levels as well as a tour to Spain to face off against SkyBet League One side Leyton Orient.
There they will be boosted by new defensive signing Callum Elder, however will be without Swedish winger Erik Ring after he departed Scottish Premiership side Kilmarnock.
Boston United- July 11
However, to start their pre-season the Imps will first travel South East towards the Lincolnshire coast where they will face up to National League side Boston United.
The Pilgrims earned themselves a 12th place finish last season following a miraculous escape from the relegation zone in the 2024-25 campaign.
They almost had to repeat that feat last season as they sacked manager Graham Coughlan in January with the side just above the relegation zone and without a win in five.
Paul Hurst quickly took charge of the side and will now lead them into this season with already ten new signings to bolster his armoury.
Leyton Orient- July 17
Next up, the Imps travel to the continent where they face just one test against a Leyton Orient side that just finished 20th in League One, avoiding relegation on the last day.
Despite that, the O’s have opted to stand-by head coach Richie Wellens who has been in charge of the East London outfit since March 2022.
His side has been bolstered by four new signings so far this season, most notably, Norwich and Chesterfield wingers Tony Springett and Armando Dobra respectively.
Grimsby Town- July 28
Then comes a return to Lincolnshire for Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw’s side as they travel to last season’s League Two play-off semi-finalists Grimsby Town.
There they lost out to eventual runners-up Salford City after Extra-Time, as they two-legged affair finished 3-3 on aggregate, with the Red Devils finding the winner after 117 minutes of the second leg.
In the hope of improving on that near miss, the Mariners have already confirmed the permanent transfer of Andy Cook after he spent the second half of last season on loan from Bradford City.
Alongside that, the seaside club also managed to secure the signatures of Edon Pruti, Joe Faulkes and Josh Andrews.
Doncaster Rovers and Barnsley- August 1
To round off pre-season City opted to entice fans with two trips to South Yorkshire, with kick-off for the two games just four hours apart.
Those clashes come against two sides separated by just a place and a point in last years League One table and first travel to the stadium where the Imps clinched the title of that division.
Doncaster Rovers will compete in the third tier of English football for the second consecutive season and have so far recruited eight players to help them progress.
One of those included former City loanee Frankie Okoronkwo who featured against their second opponents, Barnsley, during the first half of last season.
The Tykes have so far only recruited three players to boost Daniel Stendel’s side after they finished in 15th last campaign.
Joint head coaches, Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw will be hoping that can set the side up well for their first competitive fixture just a week later.
That will come away to Derby County in the first round of the Carabao Cup before they travel to Middlesborough the following week to kickstart their first season in the second tier since 1961.