The 2015–16 season will be Bradford City's 113th season in their history, their 101st in the Football League and 103rd in the English football league system. Along with League One, the club will also compete in the FA Cup, League Cup and Football League Trophy. The season covers the period from 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016. The new kits were announced in April 2015 – a claret and amber checked home kit, and an all-black away kit.
Pre-season friendlies On 5 June 2015, Bradford City announced their first pre-season friendly against Guiseley. On 10 July 2015, the club confirmed as part of the Scotland tour they will face St Mirren. A day later the Bantams announced they will play host to Carlisle United on 25 July 2015. A pre-season friendly against Burnley was confirmed on 12 June 2015. On 19 June 2015, Bradford City confirmed a friendly against Farsley. On 30 June 2015, the Bantams confirmed their second friendly during the week-long stay in Scotland. On 20 July 2015, Bradford City announced they will send a XI side to Ossett Albion. On 23 July 2015, Bradford announced another friendly addition against Whitby Town.
DateOpponentsH / AResultF–AScorersAttendance11 July 2015Farsley CelticA 3–0 Hanson (2) 19', 27', Watt 36' –14 July 2015MotherwellA 3–0 Leigh 45', Sheehan 63', Hanson 70' –18 July 2015St MirrenA 1–0 B.Clarke 15' –21 July 2015GuiseleyA 1–2 Drury 34' –25 July 2015Carlisle UnitedH 2–0 Morris 58', Liddle 72' –28 July 2015Whitby TownA 0–1 1 August 2015BurnleyA 0–2
League One
Matches On 17 June 2015, the fixtures for the forthcoming season were announced.
DateOpponentsH / AResultF–AScorersAttendancePosition8 August 2015 Swindon TownA 1–4 Morris 4' 8,090 23rd15 August 2015 Shrewsbury TownH 1–1 B. Clarke 43' 18,039 24th18 August 2015 GillinghamH 1–2 Hanson 7' 17,496 24th22 August 2015 BarnsleyA 0–0 10,342 22nd29 August 2015 Port ValeH 1–0 Cole 90' 17,806 16th5 September 2015 Oldham AthleticA 2–1 Burke 21', Cole 63' 5,619 11th12 September 2015 Fleetwood TownA 1–1 Hanson 20' 4,044 14th20 September 2015 Sheffield UnitedH 2–2 Meredith 33', Cole 47' 19,317 12th26 September 2015 Peterborough UnitedH 0–2 17,970 18th29 September 2015 Colchester UnitedA 0–2 3,334 19th3 October 2015 RochdaleA 3–1 Evans 34', Cole 59', Lancashire 61' (o.g.) 4,534 16th17 October 2015 Doncaster RoversA 1–0 Cole 1' 8,410 15th20 October 2015 BuryH 2–1 McArdle 45', Brown 51' (o.g.) 17,575 11th24 October 2015 Wigan AthleticH 1–1 Hanson 63' 19,171 14th31 October 2015 MillwallA 0–0 9,367 14th3 November 2015 BlackpoolH 1–0 Hanson 45' 17,435 9th14 November 2015 Crewe AlexandraH 2–0 Liddle 45', B.Clarke 58' 17,546 7th21 November 2015 Scunthorpe UnitedA 2–0 McMahon 28' (pen.), Leigh 52' 4,865 7th24 November 2015 Coventry CityH 0–0 17,757 6th28 November 2015 WalsallA 1–2 Evans 64' 4,668 9th19 December 2015 ChesterfieldA 1–0 McMahon 72' 6,795 8th28 December 2015 Sheffield UnitedA 1–3 Liddle 83' 24,777 10th2 January 2016 GillinghamA 0–3 6,446 12th16 January 2016 Oldham AthleticH 1–0 McMahon 50' 18,522 10th23 January 2016 Port ValeA 1–1 Proctor 65' 4,849 10th26 January 2016 BarnsleyH 0–1 17,470 11th30 January 2016 Fleetwood TownH 2–1 Hanson 67', Davies 90+3' 17,554 10th6 February 2016 Burton AlbionA 1–3 McArdle 90+2' 3,796 12th13 February 2016 Peterborough UnitedA 4–0 Hanson (2) 45', 68', Reid 56', Davies 77' 5,816 11th16 February 2016 Southend UnitedH 2–0 McMahon 17', Hanson 74' 17,701 8th20 February 2016 RochdaleH 2–2 McArdle 40', Davies 62' 17,936 8th27 February 2016 BlackpoolA 1–0 Reid 54' 8,780 7th1 March 2016 Colchester UnitedH 1–2 Thomas 17' 16,786 9th5 March 2016 BuryA 0–0 4,036 8th8 March 2016 Burton AlbionH 2–0 Reid 13', Burke 28' 17,500 7th12 March 2016 Doncaster RoversH 2–1 Proctor (2) 7', 49' 17,889 6th19 March 2016 Wigan AthleticA 0–1 10,890 7th26 March 2016 MillwallH 1–0 Davies 79' 18,538 6th28 March 2016 Crewe AlexandraA 1–0 Proctor 50' 5,320 6th2 April 2016 Scunthorpe UnitedH 1–0 Davies 68' 17,873 5th9 April 2016 Swindon TownH 1–0 B.Clarke 20' 18,043 3rd16 April 2016 Shrewsbury TownA 1–1 Proctor 71' 6,247 4th23 April 2016 WalsallH 4–0 Morais 54', Hanson (3) 58', 72', 73' 19,336 5th30 April 2016 Southend UnitedA 1–0 Evans 12' 8,571 5th8 May 2016 ChesterfieldH 2–0 Evans 7', B.Clarke 87' 20,807 5th
League table
Play-offs After finishing fifth in League One, City were entered into the end-of-season play-offs to determine who would get promoted to Championship for the 2016–17 season. Bradford were against fourth-placed Millwall in the semi-finals and played them over two legs.
DateRoundOpponentsH / AResultF–AScorersAttendance15 May 2016Semi-finalFirst legMillwallH 1–3 McMahon 13' (pen.) 19,24120 May 2016Semi-finalFirst legMillwallA 1–1 Proctor 44' 16,301
FA Cup
DateRoundOpponentsH / AResultF–AScorersAttendance8 November 2015Round 1 Aldershot TownA 0–0 2,64018 November 2015Round 1 replayAldershot TownH2–0Leigh 61', McMahon 76' (pen.) 2,9306 December 2015Round 2 CheshamH4–0Reid 22', Hanson 43', Liddle 90', Cole 90' 6,0479 January 2016Round 3 BuryA 0–0 6,96219 January 2016Round 3 replay BuryH 0–0 (2–4p) 6,227
League Cup
On 16 June 2015, the first round draw was made, Bradford City were drawn away against York City.
DateRoundOpponentsH / AResultF–AScorersAttendance11 August 2015Round 1 York City A 2–2 (2–4p) Routis 21', Hanson 90' 4,201
Football League Trophy
On 5 September 2015, the second round draw was shown live on Soccer AM and drawn by Charlie Austin and Ed Skrein. Bradford will host Barnsley.
DateRoundOpponentsH / AResultF–AScorersAttendance 13 October 2015Round 2BarnsleyH 1–2 Knott 22' 4,127
Squad statistics No.Pos.NameLeagueFA CupLeague CupLeague TrophyTotal Discipline AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals1GK Ben Williams440501010510102DF Stephen Darby470500010530403DF James Meredith40(3)130000043(3)1304MF Lee Evans35(1)430000(1)038(2)41015DF Nathan Clarke20(6)020101024(6)0316DF Alan Sheehan2000100020107MF Mark Marshall8(23)02(3)0101012(26)0208MF Gary Liddle17(3)23(1)1101022(4)3309FW James Hanson30(10)11410(1)11035(11)137010FW Billy Clarke21(8)43(2)00(1)00024(11)40011MF Billy Knott 17(7)030001121(7)13012MF Josh Cullen1800000001804014MF Josh Morris7(5)10(2)00(1)0007(8)10015DF Greg Leigh61210010921016DF Reece Burke3322000003524017MF Kyel Reid33(2)331000036(2)43018DF Christopher Routis9(2)02(1)0110012(3)11019FW Jamie Proctor14(5)600000013(5)61020MF Filipe Morais3(4)10000003(4)10021DF Tom Thorpe2(2)00000002(2)00022GK Brad Jones30000000300023DF Rory McArdle3635010104336024FW Steve Davies6(19)50(1)0100(1)07(21)55025MF Sam Wright00000000000026MF Paul Anderson5(8)00010006(8)02027MF Joe Brennan00000000000028MF Dylan Mottley-Henry0(1)00000000(1)00029DF Tony McMahon40(1)551101047(1)69030GK Joe Cracknell00000000000031DF James King00000000000033FW Luke James1(8)01(2)010104(10)00034FW Reece Webb-Foster00000000000039FW Wes Thomas6(4)10000006(4)11044FW Devante Cole12(7)52(2)1000(1)014(10)610-FW Jonathan Lewis000000000000-FW Jordan Bowery1(2)00000001(2)000-–Own goals–2–0–0–0–2––
Statistics accurate as of 20 May 2016
Transfers Transfers in Date from Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref. 1 July 2015 CF Steve Davies Blackpool Free transfer 1 July 2015 LM Josh Morris Blackburn Rovers Free transfer 3 July 2015 RB Tony McMahon Blackpool Free transfer 7 July 2015 CF Jonathan Lewis Fort Lauderdale Strikers Free transfer 13 July 2015 LM Mark Marshall Port Vale Free transfer 28 July 2015 CB Nathan Clarke Leyton Orient Free transfer 1 August 2015 RW Paul Anderson Ipswich Town Free transfer 6 August 2015 GK Joe Cracknell Hull City Free transfer 6 August 2015 LB Greg Leigh Manchester City Free transfer 17 August 2015 GK Brad Jones Liverpool Free transfer 28 August 2015 CF Devante Cole Manchester City Free transfer 1 February 2016 CF Jamie Proctor Fleetwood Town Free transfer
Transfers out Date from Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref. 1 July 2015 CB Andrew Davies Ross County Free transfer 1 July 2015 DM Matthew Dolan Yeovil Town Free transfer 1 July 2015 AM Andy Halliday Rangers Free transfer 1 July 2015 CM Jason Kennedy Carlisle United Free transfer 1 July 2015 CF Aaron McLean Barnet Released 1 July 2015 GK Matt Urwin Free Agent Released 13 July 2015 CF Oli McBurnie Swansea City Undisclosed 25 August 2015 RW Mark Yeates Oldham Athletic Free transfer 22 January 2016 CF Devante Cole Fleetwood Town £75,000 1 February 2016 MF Gary Liddle Chesterfield Undisclosed
Loans in Date from Position Nationality Name From Date until Ref. 10 July 2015 CF Luke James Peterborough United End of season 20 August 2015 CB Reece Burke West Ham United 20 September 2015 20 August 2015 CM Lee Evans Wolverhampton Wanderers 9 January 2016 22 January 2016 CF Jamie Proctor Fleetwood Town 1 February 2016 29 January 2016 CF Wes Thomas Birmingham City 29 April 2016
Loans out Date from Position Nationality Name To Date until Ref. 25 September 2015 LB Alan Sheehan Notts County 26 December 2015 26 September 2015 ST Jon Lewis Farsley Celtic 24 October 2015 22 January 2016 LB Alan Sheehan Luton Town 31 July 2016
References