The 2015–16 season was the 13th season in the Football League played by Yeovil Town Football Club, an English football club based in Yeovil, Somerset. Their relegation from League One in the 2014–15 season meant a first season in League Two for ten years.
It was manager Paul Sturrock's first season in charge as he saw a complete overhaul of the side that had suffered back-to-back relegations, and signed nineteen players on permanent and loan contracts before the close of the summer transfer window. The season started poorly with the club suffering a series of injury crises and only winning two league matches by the end of November. With a third consecutive relegation a real possibility the club sacked Sturrock, with him being replaced in the interim by first-team coach Darren Way and after his permanent appointment in January, Yeovil's form improved including a run of four consecutive 1–0 wins in March and eight clean-sheets in nine matches. Safety was confirmed with four matches to spare as Yeovil finished the season in 19th place.
The club reached the third round of the FA Cup, for the third consecutive season for the first time in the club's history, losing in a penalty shootout to Carlisle United having beaten Maidstone United and Stevenage in the preceding rounds. Yeovil were eliminated in the first round of the League Cup losing at home to Queens Park Rangers and reached the Southern Area Semi-finals of the Football League Trophy, losing to Oxford United, having defeated Barnet, Coventry City and Gillingham. There was a three-way tie for top goalscorer with Ryan Bird, Harry Cornick and François Zoko each scoring 8 goals.
Background
The 2014–15 season saw Yeovil compete in the third tier of English football following their immediate relegation from the Championship. The season started poorly with two consecutive league defeats and despite a brief improvement in form in late August and September, Yeovil remained in the relegation zone from October until the end of the season. The club's poor form led to the departure of manager Gary Johnson in February, but his replacement Terry Skiverton could not arrest the Glovers plight and after six consecutive league defeats was replaced by Paul Sturrock. His first match in charge saw Yeovil's back-to-back relegation to League Two confirmed. The club finished bottom of the league twelve points from safety. Despite relegation in the league Yeovil reached the third round of the FA Cup and faced Premier League side Manchester United for the first time since 1949.
The end of the season saw new manager Paul Sturrock perform a major clear out of the Yeovil squad, with eleven players released including Fergus Bell, Liam Davis, Craig Eastmond, Joel Grant, James Hayter, Sam Hoskins, Kieffer Moore, Nathan Ralph, Alex Smith, Seth Nana Twumasi and Gozie Ugwu, while club captain Joe Edwards and midfielder Sam Foley both rejected offers of new contracts. A further four players were offered deals to terminate their contracts early with both James Berrett and Adam Morgan agreeing to leave the club in the close season. Finally midfielder Kevin Dawson signed a new two-year contract with the club.
Review
Pre-season
The squad returned for pre-season training on 3 July. The first day of pre-season saw the arrival of ten new signings, full-back Ben Tozer joined on a one-year deal following his release from Northampton Town, while midfielder and former loanee Matthew Dolan signed a two-year contract after his release from Bradford City. Winger Jack Compton signed a one-year contract having been released from Hartlepool United and forward Jamie Burrows joined from Rangers also on a one-year deal. Fulham defender Stephen Arthurworrey returned to the club on loan until the end of the season. Midfielder Marc Laird joined from Tranmere Rovers on a one-year contract having rejected the offer of a new deal from Tranmere Rovers. Another former loanee Ryan Dickson signed from Crawley Town, where he had been the club's player of the season, for a nominal fee on a two-year contract. Three further players signed one-year contracts having impressed manager Paul Sturrock during an end of season trial match, these included former Ipswich Town defender Omar Sowunmi, ex-Queens Park Rangers midfielder Jordan Gibbons, and former Newport County forward Shaun Jeffers. Finally goalkeepers Chris Weale and Artur Krysiak both decided to remain at the club, the former becoming player-goalkeeper coach and the latter being removed from the transfer-list. On 14 July, Yeovil confirmed the signing of former Cambridge United striker Ryan Bird on a two-year contract. Yeovil's twelfth summer signing came in the form of former Portsmouth midfielder Wes Fogden who signed a two-year deal prior to the club's first pre-season friendly against Truro City on 17 July.
Yeovil's first friendly of the season against Truro City saw the club name five trialists who included former Plymouth Argyle right-back Paul Connolly, former Cheltenham Town winger Ashley Vincent and former Barnet winger Iffy Allen. The Glovers won the match 1–0 courtesy of a late Marc Laird goal. After their victory over Truro City, Yeovil's tour of Cornwall concluded with a visit to Callington Town on 19 July, the club won the match 4–0 with Ryan Bird scoring a brace and Shaun Jeffers and Stephen Arthurworrey scoring one apiece. On 20 July, striker A-Jay Leitch-Smith finally left the club agreeing to terminate his two-year contract a season early to join League One side Port Vale. The 22 July, saw Yeovil confirm their thirteenth signing of the summer in the form of Luton Town defender Alex Lacey on a free transfer, with the defender signing a two-year contract with the Glovers. That evening Yeovil traveled to Torquay United for their third pre-season friendly after falling behind to their National League opponents the Glovers won the match 2–1 with goals from Shaun Jeffers and Matthew Dolan. On 24 July, Yeovil signed Carlisle United striker Mark Beck, their fourteenth summer signing, the tall Scot signing a two-year contract for an undisclosed fee. New signing Ryan Dickson was confirmed as the club's new captain, on 27 July, for the 2015–16 season with fellow left-back Nathan Smith becoming the team's vice-captain.
Ahead of the club's first home pre-season friendly, on 28 July, the club confirmed a further signing with trialist Iffy Allen signing a one-year contract. Yeovil's unbeaten pre-season came to an end with a 3–0 defeat against newly promoted Premier League side A.F.C. Bournemouth in front of an impressive crowd of 2,422. Yeovil's second home pre-season friendly saw them face Bristol City with a side featuring two new trialists in the form of former Peterborough United defender/midfielder Kane Ferdinand and Luton Town midfielder Andy Parry. The club beat their Championship opponents 1–0 with an injury time winner scored by youth team midfielder Max Melanson. Yeovil's pre-season concluded with a 3–2 victory over a Swansea City XI, consisting mostly of their U21 side, on 4 August 2015. The Yeovil team included four new trialists, including former Port Vale winger Jennison Myrie-Williams, Guyanese international Brandon Beresford, Crystal Palace academy midfielder Sonny Black and Shaun Keith. On 7 August, Yeovil completed the signing of Bournemouth winger Harry Cornick on a one-month loan deal.
+ Pre-season match detailsDateOpponentsVenueResultScoreF–AScorersAttendanceTruro CityAW1–0Laird286Callington TownAW4–0Jeffers (2), Arthurworrey, Bird253Torquay UnitedAW2–1Jeffers, Dolan823BournemouthHL0–32,422Bristol CityHW1–01,490Swansea City U21sHW3–2Lacey, Bird, Beresford624
August Yeovil's League Two season started with an away fixture against Exeter City, on 8 August, a match which coincided the fifth anniversary of the death of striker Adam Stansfield. Prior to the match the club signed Swansea City right back Connor Roberts on a one-month loan deal. Yeovil started the game poorly falling 2–0 behind at half time, but a goal 23 seconds into the second half through substitute Harry Cornick and a penalty from Matthew Dolan levelled the scores but the team eventually succumbed to a 3–2 defeat. On 11 August, Yeovil faced Queens Park Rangers at home in the first round of the League Cup, Yeovil though were outclassed with their Championship opponents running out 3–0 winners. Yeovil's first home league match of the season saw them face local rivals Bristol Rovers, on 15 August, a late Ellis Harrison goal saw Yeovil fall to a 1–0 defeat. On 18 August, ahead of the club's trip to York City, Yeovil signed Bournemouth midfielder Josh Wakefield on a one-month loan deal. The game itself was a poor one with Yeovil losing their third consecutive league match thanks to a goal from former Yeovil midfielder James Berrett. On 21 August, Paul Sturrock made his fifteenth signing of the summer with experienced midfielder David Norris joining on non-contract terms. On 22 August, Yeovil recorded their first win of the season after battling back from two goals down to beat Luton Town 3–2, with a goal from Fulham loanee Stephen Arthurworrey just before halftime and a brace from Ryan Bird in the second half helping Yeovil climb to nineteenth in the league. The result was the first time in ten years that the Glovers had come from two goals down to win a league match, and the first time since December 1999 at Huish Park. On 29 August, Yeovil traveled to unbeaten Oxford United and ended August with a 2–0 defeat.
September