# 1915–16 Manchester City F.C. season

The 1915–16 season was Manchester City F.C.'s twenty-fifth season of league football.
With the start of the First World War, all Football League football was cancelled. In its place were formed War Leagues, based on geographical lines rather than based on previous league placement. Manchester City contested the Lancashire Section in the Principal Tournament, and the Southern Division of the Lancashire Section in the Subsidiary Tournament. However, none of these were considered to be competitive football, and thus their records are not recognised by the Football League.

## War Leagues
### Principal Tournament
#### Lancashire Section

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GR | Pts |
| 1 | Manchester City | 26 | 16 | 3 | 7 | 61 | 35 | 1.743 | 35 |
| 2 | Burnley | 26 | 14 | 5 | 7 | 71 | 43 | 1.651 | 33 |
| 3 | Blackpool | 26 | 14 | 3 | 9 | 54 | 41 | 1.317 | 31 |
| 4 | Everton | 25 | 15 | 0 | 10 | 59 | 42 | 1.405 | 30 |
| 5 | Oldham Athletic | 25 | 13 | 3 | 9 | 52 | 44 | 1.182 | 29 |

##### Results summary

| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away |
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
| 26 | 16 | 3 | 7 | 61 | 35 | +26 | 35 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 42 | 15 | +27 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 19 | 20 | –1 |
N.B. Points awarded for a win: 2

##### Reports

| Date | Opponents | H / A | Venue | Result F – A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 4 September 1915 | Stockport County | H | Hyde Road | 3 – 1 | P. Fairclough, Wynn, Barnes | 12,000 |
| 11 September 1915 | Liverpool | A | Anfield | 1 – 0 | Cruse | 15,000 |
| 18 September 1915 | Bury | H | Hyde Road | 5 – 4 | Barnes (3), Cruse, Wynn | 8,000 |
| 25 September 1915 | Manchester United | A | Old Trafford | 1 – 1 | Barnes | 20,000 |
| 2 October 1915 | Blackpool | H | Hyde Road | 3 – 0 | Barnes (3) | 5,000 |
| 9 October 1915 | Southport Central | A | Haig Avenue | 2 – 0 | Barnes, Hughes | 7,000 |
| 16 October 1915 | Oldham Athletic | H | Hyde Road | 2 – 2 | A. Fairclough, Barnes | 13,000 |
| 23 October 1915 | Everton | A | Goodison Park | 2 – 4 | Barnes (2) | 22,000 |
| 30 October 1915 | Bolton Wanderers | H | Hyde Road | 1 – 2 | Barnes | 5,000 |
| 6 November 1915 | Rochdale | A | Spotland | 2 – 0 | Barnes (2) | 1,000 |
| 13 November 1915 | Stoke | A | Victoria Ground | 0 – 1 | | 7,000 |
| 20 November 1915 | Burnley | H | Hyde Road | 1 – 0 | Hughes | 15,000 |
| 27 November 1915 | Preston North End | A | Deepdale | 2 – 3 | Howard, P. Fairclough | 3,000 |
| 4 December 1915 | Stockport County | A | Edgeley Park | 1 – 1 | Howard | 10,000 |
| 11 December 1915 | Liverpool | H | Hyde Road | 2 – 1 | Howard, Barnes | 3,000 |
| 18 December 1915 | Bury | A | Gigg Lane | 3 – 0 | Howard, Dorsett, ? (o.g.) | 2,000 |
| 25 December 1915 | Manchester United | H | Hyde Road | 2 – 1 | Taylor, Barnes | 20,000 |
| 1 January 1916 | Blackpool | A | Bloomfield Road | 0 – 2 | | 10,000 |
| 8 January 1916 | Southport Central | H | Hyde Road | 5 – 0 | Taylor (3), Barnes (2) | 12,000 |
| 15 January 1916 | Oldham Athletic | A | Boundary Park | 2 – 1 | Taylor (2) | 4,000 |
| 22 January 1916 | Everton | H | Hyde Road | 2 – 1 | Taylor, Barnes | 20,000 |
| 29 January 1916 | Bolton Wanderers | A | Burnden Park | 2 – 4 | P. Fairclough, Barnes | 15,000 |
| 5 February 1916 | Rochdale | H | Hyde Road | 4 – 1 | P. Fairclough, Barnes (2), Cartwright | 8,000 |
| 12 February 1916 | Stoke | H | Hyde Road | 4 – 2 | P. Fairclough (2), Taylor, Barnes | 10,000 |
| 19 February 1916 | Burnley | A | Turf Moor | 1 – 3 | P. Fairclough | 12,000 |
| 26 February 1916 | Preston North End | H | Hyde Road | 8 – 0 | P. Fairclough (5), Barnes (2), Cartwright | 6,000 |

### Subsidiary Tournament
#### Lancashire Section, Southern Division

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GR | Pts |
| 1 | Manchester City | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 23 | 19 | 1.211 | 13 |
| 2 | Everton | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 19 | 16 | 1.188 | 13 |
| 3 | Liverpool | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 21 | 13 | 1.615 | 10 |
| 4 | Oldham Athletic | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 17 | 21 | 0.810 | 10 |
| 5 | Stockport County | 10 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 19 | 18 | 1.056 | 9 |
| 6 | Manchester United | 10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 12 | 24 | 0.500 | 5 |

##### Results summary

| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away |
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
| 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 23 | 19 | +4 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 12 | +3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 7 | +1 |
N.B. Points awarded for a win: 2

##### Reports

| Date | Opponents | H / A | Venue | Result F – A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 4 March 1916 | Stockport County | A | Edgeley Park | 0 – 2 | | 9,000 |
| 11 March 1916 | Liverpool | H | Hyde Road | 1 – 1 | Barnes | 10,000 |
| 18 March 1916 | Everton | A | Goodison Park | 1 – 1 | Meredith | 14,000 |
| 25 March 1916 | Manchester United | A | Old Trafford | 2 – 0 | Taylor, Cartwright | 15,000 |
| 1 April 1916 | Oldham Athletic | H | Hyde Road | 4 – 4 | Barnes (3), Cartwright | 8,000 |
| 8 April 1916 | Stockport County | H | Hyde Road | 3 – 2 | Brennan, Jones, Barnes | 10,000 |
| 15 April 1916 | Liverpool | A | Anfield | 2 – 0 | Taylor, Barnes | 10,000 |
| 21 April 1916 | Oldham Athletic | A | Boundary Park | 3 – 4 | Taylor (2), Barnes | 9,000 |
| 22 April 1916 | Everton | H | Hyde Road | 5 – 4 | Barnes (2), Taylor, Jones, Meredith | 24,000 |
| 29 April 1916 | Manchester United | H | Hyde Road | 2 – 1 | Barnes, ? (o.g.) | 18,000 |

## Squad statistics
### Squad

Appearances for competitive matches only
| Pos. | Name | Principal | Principal | Subsidiary | Subsidiary | Total | Total |
| Pos. | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| GK | Jim Goodchild | 25 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 34 | 0 |
| GK | G. Howe | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| GK | Walter Smith | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| DF | Eli Fletcher | 24 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 33 | 0 |
| MF | Joe Dorsett | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| FW | Horace Barnes | 24 | 26 | 10 | 10 | 34 | 36 |
| FW | Fred Howard | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 4 |
| FW | Lot Jones | 6 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 13 | 2 |
| FW | Billy Meredith | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 2 |
| FW | Harry Taylor | 22 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 30 | 13 |
| FW | George Wynn | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
| -- | Albert Allen | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| -- | Bill Bottomley | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| -- | Jack Brennan | 26 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 36 | 1 |
| -- | Tommy Broad | 26 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 31 | 0 |
| -- | Joe Cartwright | 13 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 23 | 2 |
| -- | Corcoran | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| -- | Cruse | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| -- | Albert Fairclough | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| -- | Peter Fairclough | 13 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 16 | 12 |
| DF | Peter Gartland | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| -- | Jock Henderson | 23 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 33 | 0 |
| -- | Billy Henry | 23 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| -- | Edwin Hughes | 25 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 35 | 2 |
| -- | F. Jones | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| -- | T. Lewis | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| -- | Tomlinson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |