The 2015–16 season was Newport County's third consecutive season in League Two and 63rd season in the Football League. The season covered the period from 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016. It was their 95th season of league football and 27th since reforming in 1989. They finished the season in 22nd place. The club also participated in the FA Cup, League Cup and League Trophy, reaching Round 3 of the FA Cup for the first time since 1986.
Season Review League Former England Manager Terry Butcher had been announced as manager in April 2015, but his tenure lasted just ten games of the 2015–16 season. On 1 October 2015 Newport County Supporters' Trust took over ownership of the club with Tony Pring appointed interim chairman. Butcher was sacked on the same day, with Newport bottom of League Two after gaining just five points from the first 10 matches of the 2015–16 season. John Sheridan was appointed team manager on 2 October. Sheridan managed to get County out of the relegation places and up to 20th in the table by 12 January 2016 when he was poached by former club Oldham Athletic. He had enjoyed a ten-match unbeaten run in all competitions between 20 October and 5 December, with an overall record of five wins, five defeats and seven draws from 17 games in charge. After three defeats and a draw in his last four games he left with County just three points above the relegation zone. Assistant manager Warren Feeney was announced as manager on 15 January. Feeney's tenure started with a win at York City, but he only managed another five wins in the rest of the season. County had risen as high as 17th in the table following the 3–0 win at Portsmouth and 0–0 draw home to Hartlepool United, but a disastrous spell of six straight defeats left them in 22nd place 11 points clear of relegation with 12 left to play for. A 1–1 draw with Oxford United combined with York's win at Portsmouth put County nine points ahead with nine to play for, but with an 11 superior goal difference. Any relegation doubts were extinguished by Newport's 1–1 draw at Luton. However the bad results continued for the remainder of the season and into the next, which ultimately cost Feeny his job. Newport lost the last two games of this season and failed to score a single goal, finishing in 22nd place.
Cup In the first round of the League Cup, Newport travelled to Wolverhampton Wanderers. Despite taking the lead in the 6th minute, the scores were level by the 15th, with County eventually losing 2–1 due to a 58th-minute Wolves penalty.
In the League Trophy Newport were home to Swindon Town. With the game finishing 1–1 it entered a penalty shootout. With Aaron Collins missing the seventh penalty and Will Randall scoring his, Swindon went through 7–6.
In the FA Cup, County were drawn away in the first round to Conference North qualifiers Brackley Town. Newport were leading 2–1 in stoppage time, until former County player Curtis McDonald headed home a 95th-minute equaliser to force a replay. That game was won 4–1 to set up a second round game with fellow League Two side Barnet. Newport recorded a 1–0 victory at The Hive to progress to the third round for the first time since 1986. The third-round game at home to Championship side Blackburn Rovers started in the worst possible way for County with Rovers taking the lead thanks to an 8th-minute penalty. Mark Byrne equalised for County from 25 yards on 30 minutes to leave the scores 1–1 at half time. With 15 minutes remaining in the game Jordan Rhodes scored the winner for Rovers to send them into the 4th round.
Results summary
Results by round
Transfers
Transfers in Date from Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref. 1 July 2015 MF Tom Owen-Evans Academy Trainee 1 July 2015 MF Kieran Parselle Academy Trainee 1 July 2015 DF Scott Barrow Macclesfield Town Free transfer 1 July 2015 GK Rhys Taylor Macclesfield Town Free transfer 1 July 2015 FW Lenell John-Lewis Grimsby Town Free transfer 1 July 2015 MF Alex Rodman Gateshead Free transfer 1 July 2015 DF Danny Holmes Tranmere Rovers Free transfer 1 July 2015 DF Nathan Ralph Yeovil Town Free transfer 1 July 2015 DF Seth Nana Twumasi Yeovil Town Free transfer 1 July 2015 MF Medy Elito VVV-Venlo Free transfer 6 July 2015 DF Matt Taylor Cheltenham Town Free transfer 13 July 2015 FW Scott Boden FC Halifax Town Free transfer 1 September 2015 DF Matt Partridge Basingstoke Town Free transfer 6 November 2015 GK Joe Green Unattached Free transfer 21 January 2016 FW John-Christophe Ayina Unattached Free transfer 25 January 2016 DF Darren Jones Unattached Free transfer 10 February 2016 FW Dean Morgan Unattached Free transfer 18 February 2016 FW Tom Meechan St Neots Town Undisclosed
Loans in Date from Position Nationality Name From Date until Ref. 6 August 2015 DF Aaron Hayden Wolverhampton Wanderers 10 October 2015 19 August 2015 MF Josh Laurent Brentford 8 October 2015 20 August 2015 FW Zak Ansah Charlton Athletic 13 December 2015 24 September 2015 FW Tyler Blackwood Queens Park Rangers 24 October 2015 24 September 2015 DF Janoi Donacien Aston Villa End of season 8 October 2015 MF Scot Bennett Notts County 31 December 2015 13 October 2015 DF Jazzi Barnum-Bobb Cardiff City 7 January 2016 13 October 2015 MF Tommy O'Sullivan Cardiff City 7 January 2016 26 November 2015 FW Oli McBurnie Swansea City 24 December 2015 7 January 2016 DF Ben Davies Preston North End End of season 7 January 2016 MF Connor Dymond Crystal Palace 14 February 2016 15 January 2016 GK Mitchell Beeney Chelsea 25 February 2016 21 January 2016 FW Deane Smalley Plymouth Argyle End of season 21 January 2016 FW Conor Wilkinson Bolton Wanderers 20 March 2016 26 February 2016 MF Jake Gosling Bristol Rovers 29 March 2016 11 March 2016 MF Tommy O'Sullivan Cardiff City End of season 24 March 2016 FW Souleymane Coulibaly Peterborough United End of season
Transfers out Date from Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref. 1 September 2015 CB Kevin Feely Free agent Mutual consent 1 September 2015 CB Regan Poole Manchester United Undisclosed 22 January 2016 FW Aaron Collins Wolverhampton Wanderers Undisclosed 1 February 2016 DF Matt Taylor Free agent Released 10 May 2016 GK Joe Green Free agent Released 10 May 2016 GK Rhys Taylor Free agent Released 10 May 2016 DF Scott Barrow Free agent Released 10 May 2016 DF Matt Partridge Free agent Released 10 May 2016 DF Seth Nana Twumasi Free agent Released 10 May 2016 DF Nathan Ralph Free agent Released 10 May 2016 MF Yan Klukowski Free agent Released 10 May 2016 FW Dean Morgan Free agent Released 6 June 2016 DF Andrew Hughes Free agent Released 9 June 2016 FW Scott Boden Free agent Released 13 June 2016 FW John-Christophe Ayina Free agent Released 13 June 2016 MF Medy Elito Free agent Released 13 June 2016 MF Mark Byrne Free agent Released 13 June 2016 DF Danny Holmes Free agent Released 18 June 2016 MF Alex Rodman Free agent Released
Loans out Date from Position Nationality Name To Date until Ref. 29 October 2015 GK Rhys Taylor Wrexham End of season 12 February 2016 DF Nathan Ralph Aldershot Town End of season
Managerial statistics Only competitive games from the 2015–16 season are included.
NameNat.FromToRecordHonoursPLDWDLGFGAGDW%Terry Butcher30 April 20151 October 2015John Sheridan2 October 201513 January 2016Warren Feeney15 January 2016–
Competitions
Pre-season friendlies On 20 May 2015, Newport County announced their first four friendlies against Undy, Port Talbot Town, Bath City and Eastleigh. A fifth against Weston-super-Mare was added on 21 May. On 11 July 2015, Newport County added a trip to Torquay United.
League Two
League Cup
Football League Trophy
On 8 August 2015, live on Soccer AM the draw for the first round of the Football League Trophy was drawn by Toni Duggan and Alex Scott.
FA Cup
References