A Lincoln City XI side will travel to the Sun-Hat Villas and Resort Stadium to face Lincoln United on Friday 4 July (7.45pm KO).
The Imps make the short journey to cross-city neighbours United on Friday night in what will be the first action of the 2025/26 campaign.
The Whites achieved promotion back to step four of the non-league pyramid last time out, winning the UCL Premier Division North trophy as well as Lincolnshire County Trophy although they did fail to achieve treble status on two occasions, losing two finals at the end of the campaign.
Sam Tillen's thoughts
U18 head coach Sam Tillen is looking forward to the game, with a new influx of scholars set to feature for the first time.
He said: “We’re really looking forward to the occasion under the lights against a senior men’s side. It will be a proper test of our physicality and resilience, especially for such a young group under the lights and in front of a crowd.
“We’ve got nine first years in the squad this season, so this is a fantastic early opportunity for them to experience the demands of senior football, alongside our second years who we’re expecting to lead by example.
Tillen believes the match will be an important part of his side’s pre-season preparations as they look to build on an impressive 2024/25 campaign which saw them finish 5th in the Youth Alliance North.
“I’ve been pleased with how the group have come back in pre-season – they’ve worked extremely hard over the past few days and kept themselves in good condition over the break.
“This game is an important part of our pre-season schedule along with other challenging games against local non-league sides and it will help us prepare for our new Youth Alliance campaign.”
Match information
To back the Imps on Friday night fans can purchase on the turnstiles (£5 adults, £3 U18s). The hosts will provide hot and cold food at the club canteen, while the bar will be open for drinks and snacks.
Darren Drysdale will be the man in the middle, with Andy Park and Jack Forder as assistant referees.