The 2015–16 Scottish Championship (referred to as the Ladbrokes Championship for sponsorship reasons) was the 22nd season in the current format of 10 teams in the second tier of Scottish football.
Rangers won the league title and promotion after a 1–0 win against Dumbarton on 5 April 2016, while Alloa Athletic were relegated after a 0–0 draw against Livingston on 2 April 2016.
Teams The following teams have changed division since the 2014–15 season.
To Championship
Promoted from Scottish League One Greenock Morton
Relegated from Scottish Premiership St Mirren
From Championship
Promoted to Scottish Premiership Heart of Midlothian
Relegated to Scottish League One Cowdenbeath
Stadia and locations Alloa Athletic Dumbarton Falkirk Greenock Morton Recreation Park Dumbarton Football Stadium Falkirk Stadium Cappielow Park Capacity: 3,100 Capacity: 2,020 Capacity: 8,750 Capacity: 11,589 Hibernian Livingston Easter Road Almondvale Stadium Capacity: 20,421 Capacity: 9,865 Queen of the South Raith Rovers Rangers St Mirren Palmerston Park Stark's Park Ibrox Stadium St Mirren Park Capacity: 8,690 Capacity: 8,867 Capacity: 50,817 Capacity: 8,023
Personnel and kits Team Manager Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsorAlloa Athletic Jack Ross Pendle Marshall ConstructionDumbarton Stephen Aitken Joma Baxter RamsayFalkirk Peter Houston Puma Central DemolitionGreenock Morton Jim DuffyNikeMillions SweetsHibernian Alan Stubbs Nike MarathonbetLivingston David Hopkin Joma Energy AssetsQueen of the South Gavin Skelton (Caretaker) Joma Palmerston CafeRaith Rovers Ray McKinnon Puma valmcdermid.com (Home shirt)D&G Autocare (Away shirt)Rangers Mark Warburton Puma 32RedSt Mirren Alex Rae Carbrini JD Sports
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointment Dumbarton Signed by St Mirren 22 May 2015 Pre-season 27 May 2015 St Mirren Sacked 22 May 2015 22 May 2015 Raith Rovers (interim) End of interim spell 23 May 2015 23 May 2015 Rangers (interim) 15 June 2015 15 June 2015 Alloa Athletic Resigned 7 December 2015 10th 15 December 2015 St Mirren 12 December 2015 8th 18 December 2015 Livingston Sacked 21 December 2015 9th 23 December 2015 Queen of the South 19 April 2016 7th (interim) 19 April 2016
a.Initially interim, made permanent 5 January 2016
League table
Results Teams play each other four times, twice in the first half of the season (home and away) and twice in the second half of the season (home and away), making a total of 36 games.
First half of season
Second half of season
Season statistics
Scoring
Top scorers
RankPlayerClubGoals1 Martyn WaghornRangers202 Jason CummingsHibernian183 John BairdFalkirk174 Denny JohnstoneGreenock Morton14 Kenny Miller Rangers 6 Derek LyleQueen of the South 137 Liam BuchananLivingston11 Iain RussellQueen of the South Stevie MallanSt Mirren
Discipline
Player
Yellow cards
RankPlayerClubCards1 Darren BarrDumbarton9 Kyle JacobsQueen of the South 3 Jon RoutledgeDumbarton8 Declan McManusGreenock Morton Liam HendersonHibernian Lewis StevensonHibernian Ben GordonLivingston Chris HigginsQueen of the South Lewis ToshneyRaith Rovers109 players7
Red cards
RankPlayerClubCards1 Kyle BenedictusRaith Rovers2 Andy HallidayRangers322 players1
Club
Yellow cards
RankClubCards1Queen of the South722Raith Rovers623Greenock Morton61Livingston
Red cards
RankClubCards1Alloa Athletic4DumbartonSt Mirren4Queen of the South3Raith Rovers
Attendances
Championship play-offs Livingston, the second bottom team, entered into a 4-team playoff with the 2nd-4th placed teams in 2015–16 Scottish League One; Ayr United, Peterhead, and Stranraer.
Semi-finals
First leg
Second leg
Final The winners of the semi-finals, Ayr United and Stranraer, competed against one another over two legs, with the winner, Ayr, replacing Livingston and being promoted to the 2016–17 Scottish Championship.
First leg
Second leg
References