Rochdale are now in the east....apparantly

The Football League's crazy placement system has seen Rochdale strangely be put into the Northern Eastern section of the 2009/10 Johnstone's Paint Trophy. They are just one of seven potential opponents for the Imps in the first round of this season's competitions.

The FA and Football League have often given a strange drawing system in terms of cup competitions. For example, Nottingham Forest have often been drawn in the northern section of draws with Notts County in the southern draw, even though County are further north than Forest.

City have been given byes to the second round in the last two seasons but have lost both times, losing out 5-2 to Hartlepool and last season's penalties defeat to Leicester City. Infact, you'd have to go back to 2003 to find the last time that the Imps got beyond the first hurdle of this competition, a 3-1 victory over Telford United (back before they were AFC Telford), beating Chesterfield in the next round before going out to Halifax.

Our list of potential opponents includes Bradford City, Burton Albion, Chesterfield, Darlington, Huddersfield Town, Rochdale and Rotherham United.

The first round will be played in the week commencing August 31st, the earliest the competition has ever kicked off. The draw date will take place on August 15th.