We are so close now to competitive action kicking off again for Southampton.
This coming Saturday sees the Saints face off against Colchester United in the EFL Cup, with away fans aplenty expected in Essex to cheer on the South Coast titans.
The Watford away end is sold out for the Championship opener the following weekend, as well, with August full to the brim with eye-catching fixtures.
September also has some interesting fixtures on the calendar, as the Saints travel to face newly promoted Lincoln City on the TV cameras, for a lunchtime kick-off.
The Imps and Eckert and Co. are not regular opponents at all, with tickets now on sale for this rare showdown at Sincil Bank on the 5th of September.
Southampton tickets for Lincoln away on sale
Southampton has received a full allocation of 1232 away tickets for this clash next month, with tickets immediately on sale for 2026/27 season ticket holders who attended 21+ away matches last season.
Hopefully, another away day sellout is on the horizon, with a sea of red and white shirts descending onto Lincolnshire, just like there will be masses of Saints fans on the opening day versus Watford.
🆚 Lincoln City (a)
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) August 5, 2026
🗓️ September 5th
⏰ 12.30pm BST
Now on sale to eligible Season Ticket holders:
There will be a big draw to attending this match, too, as there have only ever been 17 competitive fixtures between the two teams in their respective histories.
The last time the two teams met, it was just before Christmas in 2022, as the then Premier League team eventually got the better of a stern Imps test at St. Mary's 2-1 in the EFL Cup.
Che Adams would help himself to a brace on that cold evening on the South Coast, with Nathan Jones the ill-fated manager at the time.
Eckert will be hoping he can steer the Saints to a similarly hard-fought win when he takes his troops to Sincil Bank at the start of September, with this match-up remarkably the first time the two sides have met in league action in 65 years.
This is the first league encounter in 65 years
Astoundingly, the last league meeting between the two EFL regulars occurred in 1961, when the two sides played in the old League Division Two.
Southampton won convincingly on this occasion 3-0, with George O'Brien - who bagged a ridiculous 180 goals for the club during the 50's and 60's - helping himself to a brace.
Terry Paine, who is another beloved former servant of the Saints, who even lined up for England during the 1966 World Cup, also found himself on the scoresheet against the Imps all those years ago.
Lincoln vs Saints stats (18th of March 1961):
Stat | Lincoln | Saints |
|---|---|---|
Final score | 0 | 3 |
Competition | League Division Two | League Division Two |
Date | 18th of March 1961 | 18th of March 1961 |
Venue | Sincil Bank | Sincil Bank |
Goalscorers | N/A | Terry Paine (1 goal) George O'Brien (2 goals) |
Now, 65 years later, the likes of Lewis Dobbin and Cyle Larin will be aiming to be in amongst the goals to get the better of the brand-new second-tier minnows.
Historically, Southampton have usually got the better of their upcoming hosts, with ten wins falling into the South Coast team's lap from those 17 encounters.
But, Lincoln will be fighting for any points they can get their hands on during the opening months of the long, gruelling campaign, making this televised contest a potentially enthralling one to watch.
Amazingly, there could even be a few Saints fans making the long trip in 2026 who were also there in 1961...
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