The 2015–16 season was the 113th in the history of the Southern League, which is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales. From the 2014–15 season onwards, the Southern League is known as Evo-Stik League Southern, following a sponsorship deal with Evo-Stik.
The league constitution was announced on 15 May 2015.[1]
After the constitution was announced, Clevedon Town of Division One South & West were demoted because their floodlights were not to the required standard.[2] As a result, Ware were transferred to Division One Central from Isthmian League Division One North, Fleet Town and Petersfield Town were transferred from Division One South & West to Division One Central, and Burnham, Marlow and newly promoted Flackwell Heath were transferred in the opposite direction.
Flackwell Heath subsequently decided to refuse their promotion and stay in the Hellenic League.[3] Redhill, who had been relegated from Isthmian League Division One South, were offered Flackwell Heath's place, but they refused due to travelling and financial reasons.[4] Their position was then offered to Wessex League runners-up Winchester City, who accepted.[5]
The Premier Division consisted of 24 clubs, including 18 clubs from the previous season and six new clubs:
| Competition: | Southern Football League Premier Division |
| Season: | 2015–16 |
| Winners: | Poole Town |
| Promoted: | Hungerford Town Poole Town |
| Relegated: | Bedworth United Bideford Histon Paulton Rovers |
| Matches: | 552 |
| Total Goals: | 1583 |
| League Topscorer: | Andy Sandell |
| Biggest Home Win: | Redditch United 8 – 1 Bedworth United, 16 January 2016 |
| Biggest Away Win: | Histon 0 – 7 Poole Town, 24 November 2015 |
| Highest Scoring: | Kettering Town 5 – 4 Histon, 17 October 2015 |
| Highest Attendance: | 1808 – Weymouth 2 – 2 Dorchester Town, 26 December 2015 |
| Lowest Attendance: | 54 – Cirencester Town 3 – 0 Paulton Rovers, 23 February 2016 |
| Attendance: | 149,290 |
| Average Attendance: | 300 |
| Prevseason: | 2014–15 |
| Nextseason: | 2016–17 |
| Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Andy Sandell | Chippenham Town | 22 |
| Tom Meechan | St Neots Town | 21 |
| Charlie Griffin | Cirencester Town | |
| Benjamin Whitehead | Chippenham Town | |
| Nathaniel Jarvis | Hungerford Town | 19 |
| Jordan Archer | Bedworth Town | |
| Ryan Prosser | Merthyr Town | 18 |
| Jonny McNamara | Hitchin Town | 17 |
| Sam Merson | Redditch United |
Semi-finals
Final
| Club | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| The Oval Ground | 3,000 | |
| The Sports Ground | 2,000 | |
| The Carlsberg Stadium | 3,000 | |
| Westwood Road (groundshare with St Ives Town) | 2,000 | |
| The Meadow | 5,000 | |
| Hardenhuish Park | 2,815 | |
| Corinium Stadium | 4,500 | |
| 5,009 | ||
| Creasey Park | 3,200 | |
| Badgers Hill | 2,000 | |
| Bridge Road | 4,300 | |
| Top Field | 4,000 | |
| Bulpit Lane | 2,500 | |
| Latimer Park (groundshare with Burton Park Wanderers) | 2,400 | |
| The Walks | 5,733 | |
| New Windmill Ground | 3,000 | |
| 10,000 | ||
| Paulton Rovers | Athletic Field | 2,500 |
| Tatnam Ground | 2,500 | |
| The Valley | 5,000 | |
| Holloways Park (groundshare with Beaconsfield SYCOB) | 3,500 | |
| New Rowley Park | 3,500 | |
| DCS Stadium | 1,400 | |
| 6,600 | ||
Division One Central consisted of 22 clubs, including 16 clubs from previous season and six new clubs:
| Competition: | Southern Football League Division One Central |
| Season: | 2015–16 |
| Winners: | Kings Langley |
| Promoted: | Kings Langley St Ives Town |
| Relegated: | Leighton Town North Greenford United |
| Matches: | 462 |
| Total Goals: | 1404 |
| Biggest Home Win: | AFC Rushden & Diamonds 8 – 1 North Greenford United, 16 January 2016 |
| Biggest Away Win: | Barton Rovers 1 – 8 Fleet Town, 16 February 2016 |
| Highest Scoring: | AFC Rushden & Diamonds 8 – 1 North Greenford United, 16 January 2016 Barton Rovers 1 – 8 Fleet Town, 16 February 2016 |
| Highest Attendance: | 545 – AFC Rushden & Diamonds 2 – 0 Bedford Town, 31 August 2015 |
| Lowest Attendance: | 51 – Arlesey Town 2 – 5 Beaconsfield Town, 22 August 2015 |
| Attendance: | 13,069 |
| Average Attendance: | 145 |
| Prevseason: | 2014–15 |
| Nextseason: | 2016–17 |
| Player | Club | Goals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Mendy | Chalfont St Peter | 31 | |
| Mitchell Weiss | Kings Langley | 29 | |
| Kieran Bishop | Ware | 23 | |
| Brendan Matthew | Egham Town | ||
| Aaron Berry | Beaconsfield SYCOB | 21 |
Semi-finals
Final
| Club | Stadium | Capacity | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dog & Duck | 2,500 | ||
| Hitchin Road | 2,920 | ||
| Haywood Way | 1,300 | ||
| The ASM Stadium (groundshare with Thame United) | 2,000 | ||
| Sharpenhoe Road | 4,000 | ||
| Holloways Park | 3,500 | ||
| The Eyrie | 3,000 | ||
| Mill Meadow | 1,500 | ||
| The Runnymede Stadium | 5,565 | ||
| Calthorpe Park | 2,000 | ||
| Weycourt | 3,000 | ||
| Reynolds Field | 3,000 | ||
| CRY Community Stadium | 1,963 | ||
| Bell Close | 2,800 | ||
| Berkeley Fields | 2,000 | ||
| Northwood Park | 3,075 | ||
| The Love Lane Stadium | 3,000 | ||
| Parkfield | 2,000 | ||
| Garden Walk | 5,000 | ||
| Westwood Road | 2,000 | ||
| Honeycroft | 3,770 | ||
| Wodson Park | 3,300 |
Division One South & West consisted of 22 clubs, including 17 clubs from previous season and five new clubs:
Flackwell Heath were initially promoted from the Hellenic League, but refused promotion after being switched from Division One Central to Division One South & West. Their place eventually went to Winchester City.
| Competition: | Southern Football League Division One South and West |
| Season: | 2015–16 |
| Winners: | Cinderford Town |
| Promoted: | Cinderford Town Banbury United |
| Relegated: | Bashley Burnham |
| Matches: | 462 |
| Total Goals: | 1481 |
| Biggest Home Win: | Taunton Town 11 – 0 Bashley, 22 March 2016 |
| Biggest Away Win: | Bashley 1 – 10 Cinderford Town, 28 November 2015 |
| Highest Scoring: | Wimborne Town 5 – 6 Winchester City, 11 August 2015 Taunton Town 11 – 0 Bashley, 22 March 2016 |
| Highest Attendance: | 510 – Bridgwater Town 1 – 2 Taunton Town, 11 August 2015 |
| Lowest Attendance: | 54 – Wantage Town 9 – 0 Bashley, 18 August 2015 |
| Attendance: | 15,046 |
| Average Attendance: | 157 |
| Prevseason: | 2014–15 |
| Nextseason: | 2016–17 |
| Player | Club | Goals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warren Bentley | Winchester City | 44 | |
| Lewis Powell | Taunton Town | 35 | |
| Adam Mann | Evesham United | 30 | |
| Ethan Moore | Cinderford Town | 29 | |
| Ricky Johnson | Banbury United | 26 |
Semi-finals
Final
| Club | Stadium | Capacity | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Testwood Stadium | 3,000 | ||
| Spencer Stadium | 2,000 | ||
| Bashley Road | 2,000 | ||
| Kayte Lane | 1,500 | ||
| Fairfax Park | 2,500 | ||
| The Gore | 2,500 | ||
| Causeway Ground | 3,500 | ||
| Draycott Engineering Loop Meadow Stadium | 3,000 | ||
| Spiers and Hartwell Jubilee Stadium | 3,000 | ||
| The Plain Ham Ground | 1,000 | ||
| Cossham Street | 2,500 | ||
| Alfred Davis Memorial Ground | 3,000 | ||
| Eynsham Hall Park Sports Ground | 2,000 | ||
| Meadowbank Ground | 2,000 | ||
| Thornhill Park | 1,500 | ||
| Hunts Copse Ground | 3,000 | ||
| The Viridor Stadium | 2,500 | ||
| Ladysmead | 3,500 | ||
| 1,500 | |||
| The Cuthbury | 3,250 | ||
| The City Ground | 4,500 | ||
| Lodge Road | 2,000 |
| Southern League Cup | |
| Year: | 2015–16 |
| Country: | England Wales |
| Num Teams: | 68 |
| Winners: | Merthyr Town |
| Second: | Cambridge City |
| Prev Season: | 2014–15 |
| Next Season: | 2016–17 |
The Southern League Cup 2015–16 (billed as the RedInsure Cup 2015–16 for sponsorship reasons) is the 78th season of the Southern League Cup, the cup competition of the Southern Football League.