City fans ponder first day possibilities

By Nathan Jackson
June 18 2006

Lincoln City fans have been speculating as who the club will be facing on the first game of the season on August 5th. The fixtures are due to be released at 10am on Thursday morning and with the Imps due for an away trip on both the first and last days, City fans are hopeful for an "easy" start.

The fixtures being released is the first of many exciting days during the season and probably ranks only 2nd to the draw for the FA Cup draws and like the FA Cups draws, there are weeks of speculation before the announcement of the fixtures. City are due for an away trip on both the first and final day of the season after being at home on both days last season. Over the last 5 years, City have faced 3 home games against Halifax, Oxford and Northampton, whereas the 2 away games were away at Kidderminster Harriers and Shrewsbury Town and more often than not, the team that City face on the first day end up not being in that division the next season.

One thing however that the Imps will definately not want is another boxing day game against Boston United after being due to play them on that day in the previous 3 seasons. City are due for a home game on boxing day though despite being at home last season. This is because the 3 years before that had seen the Imps away and interestingly enough, if you include the re-arranged game against Boston, City won all 3 games and didn't conceed a goal. It has been 4 years since City conceeded on boxing day.

Unfortunately though, there are no new local derbies for the Imps to look forward to but at least City have only one extensively long journey and that is to Torquay, an away game that Imps' fans wouldn't mind being on the first weekend, not only because it gets the trip out of the way but also to have a mini-holiday in the sun.

Whoever City get on the major days during the season, you'll hear about it here on theimps.tk at around 5pm on Thursday afternoon but please do not post a full list of fixtures on the message board, anyone that does will be banned because it's against the law and you have been warned.