2015–16 Port Vale F.C. season
| 2015–16 season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Norman Smurthwaite | |||
| Manager | Rob Page | |||
| Stadium | Vale Park | |||
| Football League One | 12th (65 points) | |||
| FA Cup | Second Round (knocked out by Exeter City) | |||
| League Cup | Second Round (knocked out by West Bromwich Albion) | |||
| Football League Trophy | Second Round (knocked out by Blackpool) | |||
| Player of the Year | Anthony Grant | |||
| Top goalscorer | League: A-Jay Leitch-Smith (10) All: A-Jay Leitch-Smith (12) | |||
| Highest home attendance | 6,822 vs. Sheffield United, 3 October 2015 | |||
| Lowest home attendance | 2,571 vs. Carlisle United, 1 September 2015 | |||
| Average home league attendance | 4,993 | |||
| Biggest win | 3–0 (twice) and 4–1 (once) | |||
| Biggest defeat | 0–5 vs. Walsall, 8 May 2016 | |||
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The 2015–16 season was Port Vale's 104th season of football in the English Football League, and third-successive season in League One. It was manager Rob Page's first full season in management. The season covers the period from 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016.
Chairman Norman Smurthwaite announced a cut in the wage bill. He reduced contract offers for many out-of-contract players, which led to Mark Marshall, Ben Williamson and top-scorer Tom Pope leaving the club on free transfers after rejecting contract offers. A new youth policy was unveiled, and eight free agents, five youth team players and two loan players were signed at the start of the campaign. They made an encouraging start to the campaign, with new names Enoch Andoh and Jak Alnwick impressing, beating Championship side Burnley in the League Cup before going out on penalties to Premier League club West Bromwich Albion. However, a poor defeat in the Second Round of the FA Cup to League Two side Exeter City cost the club a lucrative Third Round tie with Liverpool and prompted Smurthwaite to put the club up for sale officially.
Vale remained positioned between 13th and 8th from November onwards, and realistic hopes of a play-off position were ended after a run of just one point from four games from 19 March. They ended this run of poor form by relegating local rivals Crewe Alexandra on 2 April. They were reliant on loan striker Uche Ikpeazu for goals early in the campaign before Louis Dodds and A-Jay Leitch-Smith, in particular, found scoring form in the latter half of the season.