The 2015–16 season was Rotherham United's 91st season in their existence and the second consecutive season in the Championship. Last season, Rotherham secured their place in this season's championship with a 21st-placed finish, 5 points from the relegation zone. Along with competing in the Championship, the club also participated in the FA Cup, at which they entered in the third round, and League Cup.
Key events On 8 July 2015, Eric Black was appointed first-team coach, after leaving Wigan Athletic at the end of the previous season.
On 23 July 2015, it was revealed that defender Kirk Broadfoot had been given a 10-game ban for the start of the upcoming season due to sectarian abuse. The incident occurred on 14 March 2015 in a home encounter against Wigan Athletic, where he was deemed by an FA tribunal to have made sectarian comments about Wigan's James McClean. As well as the 10-game ban, Broadfoot was also ordered to pay £7,500 and complete an education programme. It is currently the longest ban for verbal abuse in English football history.
On 3 September 2015, Steve Evans appointed midfielder Lee Frecklington as the new club captain. Frecklington replaced Greg Halford as the captain for the season, with Evans citing that Halford had would be able to focus on his individual game as a result of this decision.
On 28 September 2015, the club released a statement detailing that Steve Evans and Paul Raynor had left the club after three years in charge. The two parties were stated as wanting to move in "different directions" with the club, resulting in Evans and Raynor leaving the club. First-team coach Eric Black would take temporary charge of the team until Evans' successor was appointed.
On 9 October 2015, Rotherham United announced the appointment of former Leeds United head coach Neil Redfearn as the new manager of the club. Redfearn agreed a two-and-a-half-year deal with the club. He was unveiled in an official press conference on the following Monday, 12 October.
On 3 December 2015, Rotherham suspended new signing Simon Lenighan following his trial for assaulting three women. Rotherham also opened their own investigation into the matter. The investigation resulted in the termination of Lenighan's contract on 4 February 2016.
On 11 December 2015, Andrew Hughes was appointed as the first team development coach.
On 25 January 2016, Eric Black left the club by mutual agreement, to become assistant manager at Aston Villa.
On 4 February 2016, the club confirmed the appointment of Nicky Eaden for a second spell as assistant manager. Eaden left his role as a coach with Leicester City Under 21s prior to the confirmation. This was Eaden's second spell in the management team at the club, having previously been appointed by Andy Liddell in 2011.
On 8 February 2016, it was announced that Neil Redfearn had been relieved of his managerial duties. Redfearn had been in charge of the team for 21 games, losing 14 of them and with a win percentage of 23.8%. The following day, the club announced that coach Andy Hughes had also left the club and that Nicky Eaden would take charge of the first team until a new manager was appointed.
On 11 February 2016, the club announced the appointment of Neil Warnock as manager and Kevin Blackwell as assistant manager, both until the end of the season. As a consequence, Nicky Eaden was demoted to first team coach.
On 18 May 2016, it was announced that Warnock would not be continuing as manager. Along with assistant Blackwell and Ronnie Jepson, he left the club with immediate effect.
Squad statistics Player statistics
No.Pos.Nat.NameTotalChampionshipCapital One CupFA CupDisciplineAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals1GKLee Camp42041000100013GKAlex Cairns000000000021GKAdam Collin20101000002DFLewis Buxton20+2018+202000103DFJoe Mattock3613510010814DFDanny Collins23+3221+322000305DFKirk Broadfoot32+1131+110010806DFRichard Wood13013000002112DFStephen Kelly13+2013+2000002015DFGreg Halford21+2219+2220005116DFFrazer Richardson15+5013+401+10100023DFTom Thorpe5+225+2200001026DFAymen Belaïd403000100028DFShay Facey605000101034DFLloyd Doyley303000000040DFMason Warren00000000008MFLee Frecklington28+1526+1520000010MFEmmanuel Ledesma3+501+40200+101011MFPaul Green15+11114+1000+11100014MFChris Burke525200001017MFGrant Ward35+8233+721+10102024MFAndrew Shinnie1+201+2000000025MFChris Dawson000000000033MFRichard Smallwood44+1142+111010907MFJerome Thomas3+303+3000000022MFJoe Newell31+7528+7520105042MFDarnelle Bailey-King0+100+100000009FWDanny Ward23+13422+1240+10102019FWJonson Clarke-Harris20+17619+166100+106032FWLuciano Becchio0+200+2000000027FWMatt Derbyshire30+8828+78200+105139FWJerry Yates000000000050FWLeon Best10+6410+64000011Players played for Rotherham this season on loan who returned to their parent club:1GKKelle Roos504010000030DFHarry Toffolo6+106+1000002025MFVadis Odjidja-Ofoe414000000026MFBrandon Barker1+311+3000000025MFLuke Hyam2+302+3000001024MFTony Andreu10+1210+1200000020DFFarrend Rawson15+1215+12000020Players permanently contracted to Rotherham this season who left the club:14MFAidy White4+603+501+10000018FWJordan Bowery3+512+501100007FWChris Maguire6+906+800+100030 (starts) + (substitute apps)
Goalscorers
PlacePositionNationNumberNameTotalChampionshipFA CupCapital One Cup1FW27Matt Derbyshire88002FW19Jonson Clarke-Harris66003MF22Joe Newell5500=MF8Lee Frecklington55005FW9Danny Ward4310=FW50Leon Best44007DF5Danny Collins2200=DF23Tom Thorpe2200=MF17Grant Ward2200=DF20Farrend Rawson2200=MF24Tony Andreu2200=MF14Chris Burke2200=DF15Greg Halford220014FW18Jordan Bowery1001=MF11Paul Green1001=MF25Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe1100=MF26Brandon Barker1100=DF5Kirk Broadfoot1100=MF33Richard Smallwood1100
Pre-season friendlies
Competitions
Championship On 17 June 2015, the fixtures for the forthcoming season were announced.
League table
Results summary
Matchday summary
Fixtures
FA Cup
On 7 December 2015, the draw for the third round of the FA Cup was made.
League Cup
On 16 June 2015, the first round draw for the League Cup was made.
Transfers
Transfers in Date from Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref. 1 July 2015 LW Aidan White Leeds United Free transfer 1 July 2015 LB Joe Mattock Sheffield Wednesday Free transfer 1 July 2015 RB Lewis Buxton Sheffield Wednesday Free transfer 2 July 2015 AM Emmanuel Ledesma Middlesbrough Free transfer 3 July 2015 CB Danny Collins Nottingham Forest Free transfer 3 July 2015 CB Tom Thorpe Manchester United Free transfer 6 July 2015 UT Greg Halford Nottingham Forest Free transfer 24 July 2015 CF Chris Maguire Sheffield Wednesday Free transfer 5 August 2015 LM Joe Newell Peterborough United Undisclosed 1 September 2015 GK Lee Camp Bournemouth Free transfer 16 November 2015 CF Leon Best Free agent Free transfer 19 November 2015 CB Stephen Kelly Free agent Free transfer 27 November 2015 CM Simon Lenighan Harrogate Town Free transfer 8 January 2016 CB Aymen Belaïd Levski Sofia Free transfer 8 January 2016 GK Alex Cairns Chesterfield Free transfer 21 January 2016 CF Luciano Becchio Free agent Free transfer 28 January 2016 AM Chris Dawson Leeds United Free transfer 17 February 2016 LW Jerome Thomas Free agent Free transfer 19 February 2016 GK Paddy Kenny Free agent Free transfer 19 February 2016 RB Lloyd Doyley Free agent Free transfer
Transfers out Date from Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref. 1 July 2015 RWB Mark Bradley Free agent Released 1 July 2015 RWB Richard Brindley Colchester United Free transfer 1 July 2015 CM Robert Milsom Notts County Free transfer 1 July 2015 LB Mat Sadler Shrewsbury Town Free transfer 1 July 2015 GK Tony Thompson Morecambe Free transfer 1 July 2015 CB Craig Morgan Wigan Athletic Free transfer 1 July 2015 LW Ben Pringle Fulham Free transfer 1 July 2015 CB Daniel Rowe Wycombe Wanderers Compensation 15 July 2015 CB Kári Árnason Malmö FF Undisclosed 15 July 2015 GK Scott Loach Notts County Free transfer 16 July 2015 CM Conor Newton Cambridge United Free transfer 8 January 2016 LB Aidan White Barnsley Free transfer 22 January 2016 CF Jordan Bowery Oxford United Free transfer 1 February 2016 CF Chris Maguire Oxford United Free transfer 4 February 2016 CM Simon Lenighan Free agent Contract terminated
Loans in Date from Position Nationality Name From Date until Ref. 13 July 2015 AM Grant Ward Tottenham Hotspur 8 May 2016 15 July 2015 CB Farrend Rawson Derby County 22 February 2016 15 July 2015 GK Kelle Roos Derby County 1 September 2015 1 September 2015 CM Tony Andreu Norwich City 7 January 2016 1 September 2015 RM Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe Norwich City 29 September 2015 19 October 2015 LB Harry Toffolo Norwich City 16 January 2016 7 November 2015 CM Brandon Barker Manchester City 15 December 2015 26 November 2015 CM Luke Hyam Ipswich Town 22 December 2015 2 January 2016 RB Shay Facey Manchester City 8 May 2016 22 January 2016 RM Chris Burke Nottingham Forest 8 May 2016 27 January 2016 AM Andrew Shinnie Birmingham City 8 May 2016
Loans out Date from Position Nationality Name To Date until Ref. 23 September 2015 CB Richard Wood Fleetwood Town 24 October 2015 26 October 2015 CB Richard Wood Chesterfield 29 December 2015 27 October 2015 CF Jerry Yates Harrogate Town 27 November 2015 17 November 2015 LW Aidan White Barnsley 3 January 2016 20 November 2015 CF Jordan Bowery Bradford City 2 January 2016 26 November 2015 UT Greg Halford Birmingham City 2 January 2016 26 November 2015 CF Chris Maguire Oxford United 18 January 2016 27 November 2015 LB Mason Warren Sheffield F.C. 7 January 2016 18 December 2015 CF Jerry Yates Harrogate Town 18 January 2016 15 January 2016 GK Adam Collin Aberdeen 15 May 2016 5 February 2016 LB Mason Warren Harrogate Town 3 April 2016 21 March 2016 CB Tom Thorpe Bradford City 20 May 2016
References