The 2015–16 season was the 94th season of competitive association football and 79th season in the Football League played by York City Football Club, a professional football club based in York, North Yorkshire, England. Their 18th-place finish in 2014–15 meant it was their fourth successive season in League Two. The 2015–16 season ran from 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016.
Russ Wilcox made six permanent summer signings, as he approached his first full season as York manager. In October 2015, Wilcox was dismissed with York 21st in the table, following a nine-match run without a win. He was replaced by former Dundee United manager Jackie McNamara in November 2015. However, York never ranked higher than 22nd place under McNamara, and were relegated into the National League after finishing bottom of the 24-team 2015–16 League Two. They lost in their opening round match in the 2015–16 FA Cup, and were eliminated in the second round of the League Cup and the Northern section quarter-final of the Football League Trophy.
42 players made at least one appearance in nationally organised first-team competition, and there were 18 different goalscorers. Goalkeeper Scott Flinders missed only three of the 51 first-team matches over the season. Vadaine Oliver finished as leading scorer with 10 goals, of which seven came in league competition, one came in the FA Cup and two came in the Football League Trophy. The winner of the Clubman of the Year award, voted for by the club's supporters, was defender Dave Winfield.
Background and pre-season
The 2014–15 season was Nigel Worthington's second start to a season as manager of York City, having taken charge in March 2013. Worthington resigned in October 2014 with York one place above the relegation zone. He was replaced by Russ Wilcox, who had led Scunthorpe United to promotion from League Two last season before being dismissed with them struggling in League One. York secured safety from relegation with more than two weeks of the season remaining, and finished in 18th place in the 2014–15 League Two table.
Ahead of 2015–16, York released Wes Fletcher, Ryan Jarvis, Lewis Montrose and Daniel Parslow, while Jason Mooney left for Accrington Stanley. Josh Carson, Michael Ingham and Tom Platt were retained with new contracts. York made nine summer signings, those being goalkeeper Scott Flinders from Hartlepool United, defenders Taron Hare and Eddie Nolan from Scunthorpe United, George Swan from Wolverhampton Wanderers, David Tutonda on loan from Cardiff City and Stéphane Zubar on loan from AFC Bournemouth, midfielder James Berrett from Yeovil Town, and strikers Vadaine Oliver from Crewe Alexandra and Reece Thompson from Frickley Athletic. Midfielder Callum Rzonca entered the first-team squad from the youth team after agreeing a professional contract.
New home and away kits were introduced for the second successive summer. The home kit included red shirts with a navy blue diagonal stripe, red shorts and red socks. The away kits featured black shirts with yellow trims on each shoulder and on each side, black shorts with yellow trims on each side and block socks. Benenden Health continued as shirt sponsors for the fourth successive season.
+ Pre-season match detailsDateOpponentsVenueResultScoreF–AScorersAttendanceMiddlesbroughHL0–12,798Leeds UnitedHD1–1McCoy 80'4,348Sheffield WednesdayHD1–1McCoy 32'2,904Harrogate TownAL0–2580Darlington 1883AD1–1Mohamed344Newcastle UnitedHW2–1Straker 16', Thompson 19'5,406FC Halifax TownAL0–2678
Review August
York's first match was away to last season's League Two play-off finalists, Wycombe Wanderers, which they lost 3–0. Anthony Stewart opened the scoring with a header before Aaron Amadi-Holloway scored from a low shot, and Zubar scored an own goal when his attempted back-pass lobbed Flinders. York then played League One team Bradford City at home in the first round of the League Cup, and the visitors took the lead in the first half through a Christopher Routis volley. Luke Summerfield equalised with a penalty in the 49th minute, and after Bradford missed a penalty 20 minutes from time, Berrett scored a free kick in the 85th minute. James Hanson headed an equaliser for Bradford in stoppage time, and the match ended 2–2 after extra time. York won the penalty shoot-out 4–2, and Flinders saved two penalties before Carson scored the winning spot kick. York lost 2–1 to Hartlepool United in their first home league match of the season, despite taking the lead in the 57th minute when Thompson scored after Hartlepool failed to clear Summerfield's cross. Billy Paynter curled a shot into the top corner before Michael Woods scored the winner for Hartlepool in the 81st minute, after his miskicked shot took a touch off Berrett.
York picked up their first points of the season after they beat Yeovil Town 1–0 at home, in which Berrett scored in the 63rd minute with a deflected 20-yard shot. This was followed by a 0–0 away draw with Exeter City, in which Zubar was carried off injured. Following the match, Lindon Meikle was released by mutual consent, having failed to make a matchday squad in the first five matches of the season. York were beaten 3–0 away by Swansea City of the Premier League in the League Cup third round, with Nathan Dyer, Matt Grimes and Marvin Emnes scoring their goals. Zubar returned to Bournemouth after he suffered cruciate ligament damage during the Exeter match. Platt was loaned to National League North team Harrogate Town for three months. Thompson gave York a sixth-minute lead with a close-range finish in a home match against Mansfield Town. The away team scored twice later in the first half through Matt Green, and York lost the match 2–1.
September York achieved their first away win of the season after beating bottom-of-the-table Newport County 3–0. Berrett opened the scoring in the first half with a shot into the bottom corner, and in the second half Thompson scored a header before Oliver scored with a close-range finish. York drew 2–2 away to Stevenage, and took the lead in the 39th minute with a Nolan shot from the edge of the penalty area. Chris Whelpdale and Charlie Lee scored for Stevenage in quick succession early in the second half, and Summerfield equalised with a curling shot on 74 minutes, before Flinders saved a late Brett Williams penalty. Striker Rhys Turner joined on a one-month loan from Oldham Athletic, and made his debut in York's 2–2 home draw with Carlisle United. York were 2–0 down at half-time, before Oliver was sent off for an off-the-ball incident early in the second half. However, within a two-minute period, Summerfield scored a penalty and Carson converted an Emile Sinclair cross to bring the score to 2–2.
York were beaten 1–0 away by Notts County, whose goal came in the 12th minute when Izale McLeod capitalised on a mistake by Flinders. Platt was recalled from his loan at Harrogate, where he made six appearances, after Summerfield sustained back and head injuries in the match against Notts County. York lost 2–1 at home to Oxford United; having gone behind, Turner scored an equaliser after confusion between Sam Slocombe and Johnny Mullins in the penalty area, but the away team scored the winning goal in the second half. Striker Ben Hirst went on a one-month loan to Northern Premier League Division One North club Scarborough Athletic, having had limited chances in the team.
October
Midfielder Michael Collins joined on a one-month loan from Oxford, as cover for the injured Nolan and Summerfield. Michael Coulson scored with a low shot to give York a 50th-minute lead at home to Cambridge United, and John McCombe scored four minutes later with a curling shot to make the score 2–0. However, Mark Roberts and Barry Corr scored for Cambridge in the last 19 minutes, and the match finished a 2–2 draw. York knocked League One team Doncaster Rovers out of the Football League Trophy in the second round with a 2–0 home win. Oliver gave York an early lead with a header into the bottom corner from an Anthony Straker cross, and he doubled the lead early into the second half; after dispossessing Aaron Taylor-Sinclair he lifted the ball over the advancing goalkeeper, Thorsten Stuckmann, before hitting the ball into an empty net. York ended Luton Town's four-match winning streak with a 1–1 away draw; Lowe scored late into the first half with a shot into the top of the goal, before Luton equalised in the second half from a Cameron McGeehan penalty. Turner's loan was extended for a second month. York were beaten 3–1 away by Barnet, who had been on a three-match losing streak. After going behind to John Akinde's goal, Coulson equalised for York in the 80th minute with a drilled shot, but goals in the last 10 minutes from Michael Gash and Josh Clarke secured a win for the home team.
Oliver scored a tap-in to give York a 14th-minute lead at home to Dagenham & Redbridge, before the away team equalised through Ashley Hemmings later in the first half. Jamie Cureton gave Dagenham the lead early in the second half before Coulson scored with a curling shot from 20 yards on 79 minutes, the match finishing a 2–2 draw. York lost 3–1 at home to AFC Wimbledon, who took the lead in the first half through Ade Azeez before Oliver equalised with a bicycle kick in the 60th minute. Lyle Taylor and Tom Elliott scored later in the second half to secure AFC Wimbledon's first successive win of 2015. Wilcox and his assistant John Schofield were dismissed with York 21st in the table after a run of nine matches without a win. First-team coach Richard Cresswell took over as caretaker manager, assisted by youth-team coach Jonathan Greening and goalkeeping coach Andy Leaning. Middlesbrough midfielder Bryn Morris, an England youth international, was signed on a one-month loan, and Collins' loan was extended for a second month. Cresswell's first match in charge was a 1–0 away defeat to Crawley Town, who scored in the 86th minute with a Simon Walton penalty.
November
Former Dundee United manager Jackie McNamara was appointed as Wilcox's successor, with Simon Donnelly joining as his assistant. McNamara's first match in charge was a 3–2 away defeat in the FA Cup first round to Accrington Stanley, who took the lead on 29 minutes through Sean McConville, before Oliver equalised for York five minutes later with a close-range finish. Matt Crooks put Accrington back in front two minutes later and Josh Windass scored a penalty early into the second half, before Coulson scored a consolation goal for York with a stoppage time header. York were eliminated from the Football League Trophy after being beaten 2–1 away by Barnsley in the Northern section quarter-final. Coulson opened the scoring for York on 40 minutes with a free kick into the top-left corner, before the League One team scored in the second half through Ben Pearson and Adam Hammill. Greening, who began his career at the club, registered as a player on non-contract terms aged 36, to provide cover with a number of midfielders unavailable. York were beaten 2–1 at home by league leaders Plymouth Argyle, who were two goals up by half-time with goals from Jake Jervis and Graham Carey. Dave Winfield was stretchered off with his neck in a brace during the second half, and Ben Godfrey scored a consolation goal for York during the 10 minutes of stoppage time that followed. Defender Will Boyle, the Huddersfield Town under-21 captain, was signed on a youth loan until January 2016.