The 2015–16 Football League Championship (referred to as the Sky Bet Championship for sponsorship reasons) was the twelfth season of the Football League Championship under its current title and it was the twenty-fourth season under its current league structure. The season started on 7 August 2015, and concluded on 7 May 2016. The fixtures were announced on 17 June 2015.
Teams A total of 24 teams contested the league, including 18 sides from the 2014–15 season, three relegated from the 2014–15 Premier League and three promoted from the 2014–15 Football League One.
Team changes The following teams changed division after the 2014–15 season. Blackpool were relegated on 6 April after Rotherham United won against Brighton & Hove Albion. Bristol City secured promotion to the Championship on 14 April after beating Bradford City 6–0. Watford secured promotion to the Premier League on 25 April. Rotherham United won against Reading on 28 April to also send Millwall and Wigan Athletic to League One. Bournemouth secured promotion to the Premier League on the final day on 2 May against Charlton Athletic and won the 2014–15 Football League Championship after Watford slipped up against Sheffield Wednesday. Milton Keynes Dons secured promotion to the Championship after beating Yeovil Town 5–1 after Preston North End slipped up against Colchester United. On 9 May, Burnley became the first team to be relegated from the Premier League despite winning away 1–0 against Hull City as results on the day went against them. On 10 May, Queens Park Rangers were the second team to be relegated from the Premier League after suffering a 6–0 defeat to Manchester City. On 24 May 2015, Hull City were the 3rd and final team to be relegated from the Premier League, finishing 18th in the Premier League. On the same day Preston North End achieved promotion at Wembley via the play-offs. On 25 May 2015, Norwich City won the playoff final, and were promoted to the Premier League.
To Championship Promoted from League One Bristol City Milton Keynes Dons Preston North End Relegated from Premier League Hull City Burnley Queens Park Rangers
From Championship Relegated to League One Millwall Wigan Athletic Blackpool Promoted to Premier League Bournemouth Watford Norwich City
Map
Stadia and locations
Team Location Stadium Capacity Birmingham City Birmingham St Andrew's 30,016 Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Ewood Park 31,367 Bolton Wanderers Bolton Macron Stadium 28,723 Brentford London (Brentford) Griffin Park 12,300 Brighton & Hove Albion Brighton Falmer Stadium 30,750 Bristol City Bristol Ashton Gate 16,600 Burnley Burnley Turf Moor 21,401 Cardiff City Cardiff Cardiff City Stadium 33,280 Charlton Athletic London (Charlton) The Valley 27,111 Derby County Derby iPro Stadium 33,597 Fulham London (Fulham) Craven Cottage 25,700 Huddersfield Town Huddersfield John Smith's Stadium 24,500 Hull City Kingston upon Hull KC Stadium 25,400 Ipswich Town Ipswich Portman Road 30,311 Leeds United Leeds Elland Road 37,914 Middlesbrough Middlesbrough Riverside Stadium 34,742 Milton Keynes Dons Milton Keynes Stadium:mk 30,500 Nottingham Forest Nottingham City Ground 30,576 Preston North End Preston Deepdale 23,404 Queens Park Rangers London (White City) Loftus Road 18,439Reading Reading Madejski Stadium 24,161Rotherham United Rotherham New York Stadium 12,021 Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Hillsborough 39,732 Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Molineux 31,700
Personnel and sponsoring Team Manager Captain Kit manufacturer Sponsor Birmingham City Paul Robinson Carbrini EZE Group Blackburn Rovers Grant Hanley Nike Dafabet Bolton Wanderers Darren Pratley Macron ROK Mobile Brentford Jake Bidwell Adidas Matchbook.com Brighton & Hove Albion Gordon Greer Nike American Express Bristol City Aaron Wilbraham Bristol Sport RSG Burnley Tom Heaton Puma Oak Furniture Land (home), Sofastore.com (away) Cardiff City David Marshall Adidas Visit Malaysia Charlton Athletic Johnnie Jackson Nike University of Greenwich (front) Andrews Sykes (back), Mitsubishi Electric (shorts) Derby County Richard Keogh Umbro JUST EAT Fulham Scott Parker Adidas Visit Florida Huddersfield Town Mark Hudson Puma PURE Legal (home), RadianB (away), Cavonia (third) Hull City Michael Dawson Umbro Flamingo Land Ipswich Town Luke Chambers Adidas Marcus Evans Leeds United Steve Evans Sol Bamba Kappa No sponsor Middlesbrough Grant Leadbitter Adidas Ramsdens Milton Keynes Dons Dean Lewington Erreà Suzuki Nottingham Forest Chris Cohen Adidas Fawaz International Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Company Preston North End Tom Clarke Nike Virgin Trains Queens Park Rangers Nedum Onuoha Nike AirAsia (front), Smarkets (back) Reading Paul McShane Puma Carabao Daeng (home), Thai Airways (away) Waitrose (Home back), Euro Cake (Away back) Legend Alliance (shorts) Rotherham United Lee Frecklington Puma Parkgate Shopping (home)Balreed (away), TGB Sheds (third) Sheffield Wednesday Glenn Loovens Sondico Chansiri Wolverhampton Wanderers Danny Batth Puma Silverbug
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointment Brentford End of contract 15 May 2015Pre-season 1 June 2015 Leeds United Sacked 20 May 2015 20 May 2015 Derby County 25 May 2015 Paul Clement 1 June 2015 Sheffield Wednesday 12 June 2015 30 June 2015 Brentford 28 September 2015 19th 28 September 2015 Rotherham United Mutual consent 28 September 2015 20th 9 October 2015 Leeds United Sacked 19 October 2015 18th 19 October 2015 Charlton Athletic 24 October 2015 22nd 14 January 2016 Huddersfield Town 4 November 201518th 5 November 2015 Queens Park Rangers 4 November 2015 13th 4 December 2015 Fulham 8 November 2015 12th 27 December 2015 Blackburn Rovers 10 November 2015 16th 15 November 2015 Brentford End of caretaker spell 30 November 2015 11th 30 November 2015 Reading Sacked 4 December 2015 7th Brian McDermott 17 December 2015 Bristol City 14 January 201622nd 6 February 2016 Rotherham United 8 February 2016 11 February 2016 Derby County 8 February 2016 5th 27 May 2016 Nottingham Forest 13 March 2016 14th 27 June 2016 Bolton Wanderers 15 March 2016 24th Phil Parkinson10 June 2016
Rule changes
The 2015–16 season was the last season under the initial Financial Fair Play rules before the switch to the new rules. Changes to the Championship's financial fair play system allow clubs: Acceptable losses of £2 million during the 2015–16 season (down from £3 million during the 2014–15 season) Acceptable shareholder equity investment of £3 million during the 2015–16 season. Sanctions for exceeding the allowances take effect from the set of accounts due to be submitted on 1 December 2015 for the 2014–15 season.
League table
Play-offs
The four teams that finished from third to sixth played off, with the winning team, Hull City, gaining the final promotion spot to the Premier League.
In the play-off semi-finals the third placed team played the sixth placed team and the fourth placed team played the fifth placed team. The team that finished in the higher league position played away in the first leg and played at home in the second leg. If the aggregate score was level after both legs, then extra time would be played. If the scores were still level, a penalty shoot-out decided the winner. The away goals rule did apply in the semi-finals. The semi-finals were held on 13–14 and 16–17 May.
The winners from the two semi-finals, Hull City and Sheffield Wednesday, played at Wembley Stadium on 28 May 2016 in the play-off final, where Hull City won 1–0. The game is known as the richest game in football as the winning club is guaranteed significantly increased payments e.g. in the 2016-17 season the minimum payment for participating in the Premier League was £95 million. Due to a new TV rights deal, the average payment for a newly promoted club stood at around £100 million.
Results
Season statistics Top scorers RankPlayerClubGoals1 Andre GrayBrentford/Burnley252 Ross McCormackFulham213 Abel HernándezHull City204 Jonathan KodjiaBristol City185 Nahki WellsHuddersfield Town17 Tomer HemedBrighton & Hove Albion7 Jordan RhodesBlackburn Rovers/Middlesbrough168 Moussa DembéléFulham15 Chris MartinDerby County Fernando ForestieriSheffield Wednesday
Clean sheets RankPlayerClubClean sheets1 Dimitrios KonstantopoulosMiddlesbrough222 Tom HeatonBurnley203 Allan McGregorHull City194 Tomasz KuszczakBirmingham City15 David StockdaleBrighton & Hove Albion5 Scott CarsonDerby County14 Keiren WestwoodSheffield Wednesday6 Lee CampRotherham United137 Jordan PickfordPreston North End12 David MarshallCardiff City Jason SteeleBlackburn Rovers
Hat-tricks
PlayerForAgainstResultDate Reading Ipswich Town 5–1 11 September 2015 Birmingham City Bristol City 4–2 12 September 2015 Ipswich Town Rotherham United 5–2 7 November 2015 Derby County Bristol City 4–0 15 December 2015 Burnley Bristol City 4–0 28 December 2015 Hull City Charlton Athletic 6–0 16 January 2016 Charlton Athletic Reading 3–4 27 February 2016 Brighton & Hove Albion Fulham 5–0 15 April 2016
Discipline
Player Most yellow cards 14 Kyle McFadzean (Milton Keynes Dons) Most red cards 2 Patrick Bauer (Charlton Athletic) Fernando Forestieri (Sheffield Wednesday) Bailey Wright (Preston North End) Lewis Dunk (Brighton & Hove Albion)
Club Most yellow cards 93 Leeds United Most red cards 4 Milton Keynes Dons Bolton Wanderers Nottingham Forest
Monthly awards MonthManager of the MonthPlayer of the MonthReferenceManagerClubPlayerClubAugust Chris HughtonBrighton & Hove Albion Kazenga LuaLuaBrighton & Hove AlbionSeptember Aitor KarankaMiddlesbrough Jordan RhodesBlackburn RoversOctober Lee CarsleyBrentford Alan JudgeBrentfordNovember Mick McCarthyIpswich Town Daryl MurphyIpswich TownDecember Aitor KarankaMiddlesbrough Adam ClaytonMiddlesbroughJanuary Steve BruceHull City Abel HernándezHull CityFebruary Sean DycheBurnley Aden FlintBristol CityMarch Neil WarnockRotherham United Sam VokesBurnleyApril Chris HughtonBrighton & Hove Albion Anthony KnockaertBrighton & Hove Albion
Attendances
References