2015–16 National League
The 2015–16 National League season (known as the Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons) was the first season under the new title of National League, the twelfth season consisting of three divisions and the thirty-seventh season overall.
Season | 2015–16 |
---|---|
← 2014–15 2016–17 → |
The National League covers the top two levels of Non-League football in England. The National League is the fifth highest level of the overall pyramid, while the National League North and National League South exist at the sixth level. The top team and the winner of the play-off of the Premier division will be promoted to English Football League Two, while the bottom four are relegated to the North or South divisions. The champions of the North and South divisions will be promoted to the Premier division, alongside the play-off winners from each division. The bottom three in each of the North and South divisions are relegated to the premier divisions of the Northern Premier League, Isthmian League or Southern League.
On 6 April 2015, it was announced that as of the 2015–16 season the League was to undergo a name change from the Football Conference to the National League. As well as the name change, the league's logo has been re-designed and the league's broadcaster BT Sport has signed a new three-year contract. The structure of the league and the title sponsor Vanarama however remain the same.[1]
National League
Season | 2015–16 |
---|---|
Champions | Cheltenham Town (2nd divisional title) |
Promoted | Cheltenham Town Grimsby Town |
Relegated | Altrincham Halifax Town Kidderminster Harriers Welling United |
Top goalscorer | Pádraig Amond, Grimsby Town and Dan Holman, Cheltenham Town (30 goals) |
Biggest home win | Grimsby Town 7 – 0 Halifax Town |
Biggest away win | Halifax Town 1 – 7 Cheltenham Town |
Highest scoring | Torquay United 3 – 7 Bromley Chester 8 – 2 Aldershot Town |
Longest winning run | Forest Green Rovers and Cheltenham Town (9 matches) |
Longest unbeaten run | Cheltenham Town (21 matches) |
Longest winless run | Kidderminster Harriers (18 matches) |
Highest attendance | 7,650 Grimsby Town v Lincoln City |
Lowest attendance | 484 Braintree Town v Wrexham FC |
Average attendance | 5,214 Tranmere Rovers |
← 2014–15 2016–17 → |
Promotion and relegation
Teams promoted from 2014–15 Conference North
Teams promoted from 2014–15 Conference South
- Bromley (League champions)
- Boreham Wood (Play-off winners)
Teams relegated from 2014–15 Football League Two
Stadia and locations
Team | Stadium | Capacity |
---|---|---|
Aldershot Town | EBB Stadium | 7,100 |
Altrincham | Moss Lane | 6,085 |
Barrow | Holker Street | 5,000 |
Boreham Wood | Meadow Park | 4,502 |
Braintree Town | Cressing Road | 4,145 |
Bromley | Hayes Lane | 5,000 |
Cheltenham Town | Whaddon Road | 7,066 |
Chester | Deva Stadium | 6,000 |
Dover Athletic | Crabble Athletic Ground | 6,500 |
Eastleigh | Silverlake Stadium | 5,200 |
F.C. Halifax Town | The Shay | 14,061 |
Forest Green Rovers | The New Lawn | 5,147 |
Gateshead | Gateshead International Stadium | 10,000 |
Grimsby Town | Blundell Park | 9,062 |
Guiseley | Nethermoor Park | 3,000 |
Kidderminster Harriers | Aggborough | 6,238 |
Lincoln City | Sincil Bank | 10,120 |
Macclesfield Town | Moss Rose | 6,355 |
Southport | Merseyrail Community Stadium | 6,008 |
Torquay United | Plainmoor | 6,500 |
Tranmere Rovers | Prenton Park | 16,789 |
Welling United | Park View Road | 4,000 |
Woking | Kingfield Stadium | 6,036 |
Wrexham | Racecourse Ground | 10,771 |
League table
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Cheltenham Town (C, P) | 46 | 30 | 11 | 5 | 87 | 30 | +57 | 101 | Promotion to League Two |
2 | Forest Green Rovers | 46 | 26 | 11 | 9 | 69 | 42 | +27 | 89 | Qualification for the National League play-offs[lower-alpha 1] |
3 | Braintree Town | 46 | 23 | 12 | 11 | 56 | 38 | +18 | 81 | |
4 | Grimsby Town (O, P) | 46 | 22 | 14 | 10 | 82 | 45 | +37 | 80 | |
5 | Dover Athletic | 46 | 23 | 11 | 12 | 75 | 53 | +22 | 80 | |
6 | Tranmere Rovers | 46 | 22 | 12 | 12 | 61 | 44 | +17 | 78 | |
7 | Eastleigh | 46 | 21 | 12 | 13 | 64 | 53 | +11 | 75 | |
8 | Wrexham | 46 | 20 | 9 | 17 | 71 | 56 | +15 | 69 | |
9 | Gateshead | 46 | 19 | 10 | 17 | 59 | 70 | −11 | 67 | |
10 | Macclesfield Town | 46 | 19 | 9 | 18 | 60 | 48 | +12 | 66 | |
11 | Barrow | 46 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 64 | 71 | −7 | 65 | |
12 | Woking | 46 | 17 | 10 | 19 | 71 | 68 | +3 | 61 | |
13 | Lincoln City | 46 | 16 | 13 | 17 | 69 | 68 | +1 | 61 | |
14 | Bromley | 46 | 17 | 9 | 20 | 67 | 72 | −5 | 60 | |
15 | Aldershot Town | 46 | 16 | 8 | 22 | 54 | 72 | −18 | 56 | |
16 | Southport | 46 | 14 | 13 | 19 | 52 | 65 | −13 | 55 | |
17 | Chester | 46 | 14 | 12 | 20 | 67 | 71 | −4 | 54 | |
18 | Torquay United | 46 | 13 | 12 | 21 | 54 | 76 | −22 | 51 | |
19 | Boreham Wood | 46 | 12 | 14 | 20 | 44 | 49 | −5 | 50 | |
20 | Guiseley | 46 | 11 | 16 | 19 | 47 | 70 | −23 | 49 | |
21 | Halifax Town (R) | 46 | 12 | 12 | 22 | 55 | 82 | −27 | 48 | Relegation to the National League North |
22 | Altrincham (R) | 46 | 10 | 14 | 22 | 48 | 73 | −25 | 44 | |
23 | Kidderminster Harriers (R) | 46 | 9 | 13 | 24 | 49 | 71 | −22 | 40 | |
24 | Welling United (R) | 46 | 8 | 11 | 27 | 35 | 73 | −38 | 35 | Relegation to the National League South |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champion; (O) Play-off winner; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated.
Notes:
- Four teams play for one spot and promotion to Football League Two.
Play-offs
Semifinals | Final | |||||||||
2 | Forest Green Rovers | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||
5 | Dover Athletic | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||||
2 | Forest Green Rovers | 1 | ||||||||
4 | Grimsby Town | 3 | ||||||||
3 | Braintree Town | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||||
4 | Grimsby Town (a.e.t.) | 0 | 2 | 2 |
First leg
4 May 2016[2] | Dover Athletic | 0–1 | Forest Green Rovers | Crabble Athletic Ground, River |
19:00 | BBC Report | Williams |
Attendance: 2,071 Referee: Adrian Holmes |
5 May 2016[2] | Grimsby Town | 0–1 | Braintree Town | Blundell Park, Cleethorpes |
19:00 | BBC Report | Davis |
Attendance: 5,271 Referee: John Brooks |
Second leg
7 May 2016[2] | Forest Green Rovers | 1–1 (2–1 agg.) | Dover Athletic | The New Lawn, Nailsworth |
19:30 | Marsh-Brown |
BBC Report | Miller |
Attendance: 2,755 Referee: Michael Salisbury |
8 May 2016[2] | Braintree Town | 0–2 (a.e.t.) (1–2 agg.) | Grimsby Town | Cressing Road, Braintree |
15:00 | BBC Report | Amond Bogle |
Attendance: 3,102 Referee: Simon Bennett |
Final
15 May 2016[2] | Forest Green Rovers | 1–3 | Grimsby Town | Wembley Stadium, London |
16:00 (BST) | Marsh-Brown |
BBC Report | Bogle Arnold |
Attendance: 17,198 Referee: Robert Jones |
Results
Top scorers
- As of matches played 30 April 2016 [3]
Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Grimsby Town | 30 | |
Cheltenham Town | |||
3 | Barrow | 24 | |
4 | Chester | 23 | |
5 | Macclesfield Town | 22 | |
Cheltenham Town | |||
7 | Bromley | 20 | |
Lincoln City | |||
Dover Athletic | |||
10 | Tranmere Rovers | 19 |
National League North
Season | 2015–16 |
---|---|
Champions | Solihull Moors |
Promoted | Solihull Moors North Ferriby United |
Relegated | Corby Town Hednesford Town Lowestoft Town |
← 2014–15 2016–17 → |
Promotion and relegation
Teams relegated from 2014–15 Conference Premier
- AFC Telford United
- Alfreton Town
- Nuneaton Town
Teams promoted from 2014–15 Northern Premier League
- F.C. United of Manchester (League Champions)
- Curzon Ashton (Play-off Winners)
Teams promoted from 2014–15 Southern Football League
- Corby Town (League Champions)
League table
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Solihull Moors (C, P) | 42 | 25 | 10 | 7 | 84 | 48 | +36 | 85 | Promotion to the National League |
2 | North Ferriby United (O, P) | 42 | 22 | 10 | 10 | 82 | 49 | +33 | 76 | Qualification for the National League North play-offs[lower-alpha 1] |
3 | Fylde | 42 | 22 | 9 | 11 | 76 | 53 | +23 | 75 | |
4 | Harrogate Town | 42 | 21 | 9 | 12 | 73 | 46 | +27 | 72 | |
5 | Boston United | 42 | 22 | 5 | 15 | 73 | 60 | +13 | 71 | |
6 | Nuneaton Town[lower-alpha 2] | 42 | 20 | 13 | 9 | 71 | 46 | +25 | 70 | |
7 | Tamworth | 42 | 16 | 15 | 11 | 55 | 45 | +10 | 63 | |
8 | Chorley | 42 | 18 | 9 | 15 | 64 | 55 | +9 | 63 | |
9 | Stockport County | 42 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 50 | 49 | +1 | 59 | |
10 | Alfreton Town | 42 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 58 | 54 | +4 | 58 | |
11 | Curzon Ashton | 42 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 55 | 52 | +3 | 57 | |
12 | Stalybridge Celtic | 42 | 14 | 11 | 17 | 62 | 75 | −13 | 53 | |
13 | F.C. United of Manchester | 42 | 15 | 8 | 19 | 60 | 75 | −15 | 53 | |
14 | Bradford Park Avenue | 42 | 13 | 11 | 18 | 51 | 59 | −8 | 50 | |
15 | Gloucester City | 42 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 39 | 49 | −10 | 50 | |
16 | Gainsborough Trinity | 42 | 14 | 8 | 20 | 46 | 62 | −16 | 50 | |
17 | Worcester City | 42 | 12 | 12 | 18 | 55 | 61 | −6 | 48 | |
18 | A.F.C. Telford United | 42 | 13 | 8 | 21 | 47 | 60 | −13 | 47 | |
19 | Brackley Town | 42 | 11 | 13 | 18 | 45 | 54 | −9 | 46 | |
20 | Lowestoft Town (R) | 42 | 12 | 10 | 20 | 48 | 69 | −21 | 46 | Relegation to the Isthmian League |
21 | Hednesford Town (R) | 42 | 8 | 14 | 20 | 50 | 77 | −27 | 38 | Relegation to the Northern Premier League |
22 | Corby Town (R) | 42 | 7 | 11 | 24 | 47 | 93 | −46 | 32 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champion; (O) Play-off winner; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated.
Notes:
- Four teams play for one spot and promotion to the National League.
- Nuneaton were deducted three points for fielding an ineligible player in their win over Corby Town on 27 February 2016.[4]
Play-offs
Semifinals | Final | |||||||||
2 | North Ferriby United | 0 | 3 | 3 | ||||||
5 | Boston United | 2 | 0 | 2 | ||||||
2 | North Ferriby United (a.e.t.) | 2 | ||||||||
3 | Fylde | 1 | ||||||||
3 | Fylde | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||
4 | Harrogate Town | 0 | 1 | 1 |
First leg
4 May 2016[2] | Boston United | 2–0 | North Ferriby United | York Street, Boston |
19:45 | Roberts Mills |
Second leg
8 May 2016[2] | North Ferriby United | 3–0 (3–2 agg.) | Boston United | Grange Lane, North Ferriby |
15:00 | King Denton Clarke |
Final
14 May 2016[2] | North Ferriby United | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | Fylde | Grange Lane, North Ferriby |
15:00 | Brooksby Hone |
Finley |
Results
Stadia and locations
Team | Stadium | Capacity |
---|---|---|
A.F.C. Fylde | Kellamergh Park | 3,180 |
A.F.C. Telford United | New Bucks Head | 6,300 |
Alfreton Town | North Street | 3,600 |
Boston United | York Street | 6,643 |
Brackley Town | St. James Park | 3,500 |
Bradford Park Avenue | Horsfall Stadium | 3,500 |
Chorley | The Chorley Group Victory Park Stadium | 4,100 |
Corby Town | Steel Park | 3,893 |
Curzon Ashton | Tameside Stadium | 4,000 |
F.C. United of Manchester | Broadhurst Park | 4,400 |
Gainsborough Trinity | The Northolme | 4,304 |
Gloucester City | Whaddon Road | 7,066 |
Harrogate Town | Wetherby Road | 3,800 |
Hednesford Town | Keys Park | 6,500 |
Lowestoft Town | Crown Meadow | 3,000 |
North Ferriby United | Grange Lane | 2,700 |
Nuneaton Town | Liberty Way | 4,314 |
Solihull Moors | Damson Park | 3,050 |
Stalybridge Celtic | Bower Fold | 6,500 |
Stockport County | Edgeley Park | 10,841 |
Tamworth | The Lamb Ground | 4,000 |
Worcester City | Aggborough | 6,302 |
Top scorers
- As of matches played 30 April 2016 [5]
Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Boston United | 24 | |
1 | AFC Fylde | 24 | |
2 | Harrogate Town | 22 | |
4 | North Ferriby United | 20 | |
5 | Chorley | 18 | |
6 | Solihull Moors | 17 | |
North Ferriby United | |||
8 | Bradford Park Avenue | 16 | |
Corby Town | |||
10 | Worcester City | 15 | |
Lowestoft Town |
National League South
Season | 2015–16 |
---|---|
Champions | Sutton United |
Promoted | Sutton United Maidstone United |
Relegated | Basingstoke Town Havant & Waterlooville Hayes & Yeading United |
← 2014–15 2016–17 → |
Promotion and relegation
Teams relegated from 2014–15 Conference Premier
Teams transferred from 2014–15 Conference North
Teams promoted from 2014–15 Isthmian League
- Maidstone United (League Champions)
- Margate (Play-off Winners)
Teams promoted from 2014–15 Southern Football League
- Truro City (Play-off Winners)
League table
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Sutton United (C, P) | 42 | 26 | 12 | 4 | 83 | 32 | +51 | 90 | Promotion to the National League |
2 | Ebbsfleet United | 42 | 24 | 12 | 6 | 73 | 36 | +37 | 84 | Qualification for the National League South play-offs[lower-alpha 1] |
3 | Maidstone United (O, P) | 42 | 24 | 5 | 13 | 55 | 40 | +15 | 77 | |
4 | Truro City | 42 | 17 | 14 | 11 | 62 | 55 | +7 | 65 | |
5 | Whitehawk | 42 | 18 | 10 | 14 | 75 | 62 | +13 | 64 | |
6 | Hemel Hempstead Town | 42 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 72 | 66 | +6 | 61 | |
7 | Maidenhead United | 42 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 66 | 62 | +4 | 59 | |
8 | Dartford | 42 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 58 | 56 | +2 | 59 | |
9 | Gosport Borough | 42 | 15 | 11 | 16 | 53 | 63 | −10 | 56 | |
10 | Concord Rangers | 42 | 15 | 10 | 17 | 66 | 68 | −2 | 55 | |
11 | Bishop's Stortford | 42 | 15 | 10 | 17 | 56 | 63 | −7 | 55 | |
12 | Oxford City | 42 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 70 | 60 | +10 | 54 | |
13 | Wealdstone | 42 | 12 | 17 | 13 | 63 | 64 | −1 | 53 | |
14 | Bath City | 42 | 14 | 11 | 17 | 50 | 61 | −11 | 53 | |
15 | Chelmsford City | 42 | 15 | 7 | 20 | 66 | 64 | +2 | 52 | |
16 | Weston-super-Mare | 42 | 14 | 9 | 19 | 63 | 76 | −13 | 51 | |
17 | Eastbourne Borough | 42 | 13 | 11 | 18 | 60 | 63 | −3 | 50 | |
18 | St Albans City | 42 | 13 | 10 | 19 | 58 | 65 | −7 | 49 | |
19 | Margate | 42 | 13 | 8 | 21 | 51 | 73 | −22 | 47 | |
20 | Havant & Waterlooville (R) | 42 | 12 | 11 | 19 | 52 | 75 | −23 | 47 | Relegation to the Isthmian League |
21 | Hayes & Yeading United (R) | 42 | 11 | 13 | 18 | 51 | 76 | −25 | 46 | Relegation to the Southern Football League |
22 | Basingstoke Town (R) | 42 | 9 | 11 | 22 | 46 | 69 | −23 | 38 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champion; (O) Play-off winner; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated.
Notes:
- Four teams play for one spot and promotion to the National League.
Play-offs
Semifinals | Final | |||||||||
2 | Ebbsfleet United (a.e.t.) | 2 | 1 | 3 (3) | ||||||
5 | Whitehawk | 1 | 2 | 3 (2) | ||||||
2 | Ebbsfleet United | 2 (3) | ||||||||
3 | Maidstone United (a.e.t.) | 2 (4) | ||||||||
3 | Maidstone United | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||||||
4 | Truro City | 0 | 0 | 0 |
First leg
4 May 2016[2] | Whitehawk | 1–2 | Ebbsfleet United | The Enclosed Ground, Whitehawk |
19:45 | Mills |
Lewis Kedwell |
4 May 2016[2] | Truro City | 0–2 | Maidstone United | Treyew Road, Truro |
19:45 | Healy Flisher |
Attendance: 1,705 |
Second leg
8 May 2016[2] | Ebbsfleet United | 1–2 (a.e.t.) (3–3 agg.) (3–2 p) | Whitehawk | Stonebridge Road, Northfleet |
15:00 | Clark |
Arnold Mills |
||
Penalties | ||||
8 May 2016[2] | Maidstone United | 1–0 (3–0 agg.) | Truro City | Gallagher Stadium, Maidstone |
15:00 | Flisher |
Final
14 May 2016[2] | Ebbsfleet United | 2–2 (a.e.t.) (3–4 p) | Maidstone United | Stonebridge Road, Northfleet |
15:00 | Kedwell |
Taylor Dumaka |
||
Penalties | ||||
Results
Stadium and locations
Team | Stadium | Capacity |
---|---|---|
Basingstoke Town | The Camrose | 6,000 |
Bath City | Twerton Park | 8,840 |
Bishop's Stortford | ProKit UK Stadium | 4,525 |
Chelmsford City | Melbourne Stadium | 3,019 |
Concord Rangers | Thames Road | 3,300 |
Dartford | Princes Park | 4,100 |
Eastbourne Borough | Priory Lane | 4,134 |
Ebbsfleet United | Stonebridge Road | 5,011 |
Gosport Borough | Privett Park | 4,500 |
Havant & Waterlooville | West Leigh Park | 5,250 |
Hayes & Yeading United | York Road (groundshare with Maidenhead United) | 3,000 |
Hemel Hempstead Town | Vauxhall Road | 3,152 |
Maidenhead United | York Road | 3,000 |
Maidstone United | Gallagher Stadium | 3,063 |
Margate | Hartsdown Park | 3,000 |
Oxford City | Court Place Farm | 2,000 |
St Albans City | Clarence Park | 4,500 |
Sutton United | Gander Green Lane | 5,013 |
Truro City | Treyew Road | 3,857 |
Wealdstone | The Vale | 2,640 |
Weston-super-Mare | Woodspring Stadium | 3,500 |
Whitehawk | The Enclosed Ground | 2,000 |
Top scorers
- As of matches played 30 April 2016 [6]
Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Bishop's Stortford | 28 | |
2 | Ebbsfleet United | 26 | |
3 | Whitehawk | 23 | |
Gosport Borough | |||
5 | Sutton United | 20 | |
6 | Weston-super-Mare | 19 | |
Concord Rangers | |||
8 | Oxford City | 18 | |
Eastbourne Borough | |||
Dartford | |||
St Albans City |
References
- "The Official Football Conference League Website". footballconference.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2015-04-19. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
- "The National League Play Off Dates". The National League. Archived from the original on 2016-05-09. Retrieved 2016-04-30.
- "Top Scorers - National League - Football - BBC Sport". BBC Sport.
- "Nuneaton Found Guilty of Fielding Ineligible Player". Football Conference. 24 March 2016. Archived from the original on 2 June 2016. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
- "Top Scorers - National League North - Football - BBC Sport". BBC Sport.
- "Top Scorers - National League South - Football - BBC Sport". BBC Sport.