# 2015–16 Milton Keynes Dons F.C. season

The 2015–16 season was Milton Keynes Dons's 12th season in their existence, and their first season in the Championship, the second tier of English football, having gained promotion from League One the previous season.
Along with competing in the Championship, the club also participated in the FA Cup and League Cup.
The season covers the period from 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016.

## Competitions
### Championship

Final table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 20 | Fulham | 46 | 12 | 15 | 19 | 66 | 79 | –13 | 51 |
| 21 | Rotherham United | 46 | 13 | 10 | 23 | 53 | 71 | –18 | 49 |
| 22 | Charlton Athletic (R) | 46 | 9 | 13 | 24 | 40 | 80 | –40 | 40 |
| 23 | Milton Keynes Dons (R) | 46 | 9 | 12 | 25 | 39 | 69 | –30 | 39 |
| 24 | Bolton Wanderers (R) | 46 | 5 | 15 | 26 | 41 | 81 | –40 | 30 |
Source: Sky Sports
Matches
| Win | Draw | Loss |
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Scorers | Attendance |
| 8 August 2015 – 15:00 | Rotherham United | Away | 4–1 | Hall, Collins (o.g.), Bowditch, Baker | 9,869 |
| 15 August 2015 – 15:00 | Preston North End | Home | 0–1 | | 11,035 |
| 18 August 2015 – 19:45 | Bolton Wanderers | Home | 1–0 | Powell | 10,765 |
| 22 August 2015 – 15:00 | Reading | Away | 0–0 | | 16,547 |
| 29 August 2015 – 15:00 | Birmingham City | Home | 0–2 | | 14,626 |
| 12 September 2015 – 15:00 | Middlesbrough | Away | 0–2 | | 21,448 |
| 15 September 2015 – 19:45 | Burnley | Away | 1–2 | Baker | 15,845 |
| 19 September 2015 – 15:00 | Leeds United | Home | 1–2 | Church | 19,284 |
| 26 September 2015 – 12:30 | Derby County | Home | 1–3 | Murphy | 13,554 |
| 3 October 2015 – 15:00 | Bristol City | Away | 1–1 | Powell | 14,535 |
| 17 October 2015 – 15:00 | Blackburn Rovers | Home | 3–0 | Reeves (2), Church | 11,548 |
| 20 October 2015 – 19:45 | Huddersfield Town | Away | 0–2 | | 11,471 |
| 24 October 2015 – 15:00 | Queens Park Rangers | Away | 0–3 | | 15,567 |
| 31 October 2015 – 15:00 | Hull City | Home | 0–2 | | 15,360 |
| 3 November 2015 – 19:45 | Charlton Athletic | Home | 1–0 | Bowditch | 9,575 |
| 7 November 2015 – 15:00 | Brighton & Hove Albion | Away | 1–2 | Maynard | 23,661 |
| 21 November 2015 – 15:00 | Fulham | Home | 1–1 | Bowditch | 14,508 |
| 28 November 2015 – 15:00 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Away | 0–0 | | 19,814 |
| 5 December 2015 – 15:00 | Brentford | Away | 0–2 | | 9,682 |
| 12 December 2015 – 15:00 | Ipswich Town | Home | 0–1 | | 13,520 |
| 15 December 2015 – 19:45 | Sheffield Wednesday | Home | 2–1 | Baker, Maynard | 11,422 |
| 19 December 2015 – 15:00 | Nottingham Forest | Away | 1–2 | Murphy | 19,975 |
| 26 December 2015 – 15:00 | Cardiff City | Home | 2–1 | Maynard, Murphy | 12,510 |
| 28 December 2015 – 15:00 | Birmingham City | Away | 0–1 | | 19,714 |
| 2 January 2016 – 15:00 | Leeds United | Away | 1–1 | Hall | 24,356 |
| 12 January 2016 – 19:45 | Burnley | Home | 0–5 | | 10,011 |
| 16 January 2016 – 15:00 | Reading | Home | 1–0 | Walsh | 13,062 |
| 23 January 2016 – 15:00 | Bolton Wanderers | Away | 1–3 | Murphy | 13,932 |
| 6 February 2016 – 15:00 | Cardiff City | Away | 0–0 | | 13,833 |
| 9 February 2016 – 19:45 | Middlesbrough | Home | 1–1 | Bowditch | 11,256 |
| 13 February 2016 – 15:00 | Derby County | Away | 1–0 | Forster-Caskey | 30,075 |
| 20 February 2016 – 15:00 | Bristol City | Home | 0–2 | | 12,825 |
| 23 February 2016 – 19:45 | Huddersfield Town | Home | 1–1 | Revell | 9,402 |
| 27 February 2016 – 15:00 | Blackburn Rovers | Away | 2–3 | Carruthers, Revell | 12,693 |
| 5 March 2016 – 15:00 | Queens Park Rangers | Home | 2–0 | Lewington, Reeves | 14,796 |
| 8 March 2016 – 19:45 | Charlton Athletic | Away | 0–0 | | 13,146 |
| 12 March 2016 – 15:00 | Hull City | Away | 1–1 | Kay | 16,183 |
| 19 March 2016 – 15:00 | Brighton & Hove Albion | Home | 1–2 | Kay | 21,345 |
| 2 April 2016 – 15:00 | Fulham | Away | 1–2 | Murphy | 17,588 |
| 5 April 2016 – 19:45 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Home | 1–2 | Maynard | 12,131 |
| 9 April 2016 – 15:00 | Rotherham United | Home | 0–4 | | 13,048 |
| 16 April 2016 – 15:00 | Preston North End | Away | 1–1 | Maynard | 10,457 |
| 19 April 2016 – 19:45 | Sheffield Wednesday | Away | 0–0 | | 20,220 |
| 23 April 2016 – 15:00 | Brentford | Home | 1–4 | Maynard | 11,564 |
| 30 April 2016 – 15:00 | Ipswich Town | Away | 2–3 | Revell | 19,631 |
| 7 May 2016 – 15:00 | Nottingham Forest | Home | 1–2 | Maynard | 15,486 |

### FA Cup

Matches
| Win | Draw | Loss |
| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Result | Scorers | Attendance |
| 9 January 2016 – 15:00 | Third round | Northampton Town | Away | 2–2 | Cresswell (o.g.), Maynard | 5,878 |
| 19 January 2016 – 19:45 | Third round (replay) | Northampton Town | Home | 3–0 | Reeves, Murphy, Church | 15,133 |
| 31 January 2016 – 16:00 | Fourth round | Chelsea | Home | 1–5 | Potter | 28,127 |

### League Cup

Matches
| Win | Draw | Loss |
| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Result | Scorers | Attendance |
| 11 August 2015 – 19:45 | First round | Leyton Orient | Home | 2–1 | Baudry (o.g.), Baker | 5,444 |
| 25 August 2015 – 19:45 | Second round | Cardiff City | Home | 2–1 | Baker, Murphy | 5,617 |
| 23 September 2015 – 19:45 | Third round | Southampton | Home | 0–6 | | 10,189 |
* ↑ After extra time. Score 1–1 at the conclusion of 90 minutes.

## Player details

    Note: Players' ages as of the club's opening fixture of the 2015–16 season.
| # | Name | Position | Date of birth (age) | Signed from | Signed in | Transfer fee |
| Goalkeepers ||||||||
| 1 | David Martin | GK | (1986-01-22)22 January 1986 (aged 29) | Liverpool | 2010 | Free |
| 22 | Cody Cropper | GK | (1993-02-16)16 February 1993 (aged 22) | Southampton | 2016 | Free |
| 29 | Charlie Burns | GK | (1995-05-27)27 May 1995 (aged 20) | Academy | 2014 | Trainee |
| Defenders ||||||||
| 3 | Dean Lewington | LB | (1984-05-18)18 May 1984 (aged 31) | Wimbledon | 2004 | Free |
| 4 | Matthew Upson | CB | (1979-04-18)18 April 1979 (aged 36) | Free agent | 2015 | Free |
| 5 | Kyle McFadzean | CB | (1987-02-28)28 February 1987 (aged 28) | Crawley Town | 2014 | Undisclosed |
| 6 | Antony Kay | CB | (1982-10-21)21 October 1982 (aged 32) | Huddersfield Town | 2012 | Free |
| 12 | Jordan Spence | RB | (1990-05-24)24 May 1990 (aged 25) | Free agent | 2014 | Free |
| 16 | Joe Walsh | CB | (1992-05-13)13 May 1992 (aged 23) | Crawley Town | 2015 | Undisclosed |
| 21 | George Baldock | RB | (1993-03-09)9 March 1993 (aged 22) | Academy | 2009 | Trainee |
| 33 | Oran Jackson | CB | (1998-10-16)16 October 1998 (aged 16) | Academy | 2016 | Trainee |
| 24 | Ben Tilney | LB | (1997-02-28)28 February 1997 (aged 18) | Academy | 2014 | Trainee |
| 24 | Harry Hickford | CB | (1996-06-23)23 June 1996 (aged 19) | Academy | 2014 | Trainee |
| 40 | Kevin Long | CB | (1990-08-18)18 August 1990 (aged 24) | Burnley | 2016 | Loan |
| Midfielders ||||||||
| 7 | Carl Baker | AM | (1982-12-26)26 December 1982 (aged 32) | Free agent | 2014 | Free |
| 8 | Darren Potter | DM | (1984-12-21)21 December 1984 (aged 30) | Sheffield Wednesday | 2011 | Free |
| 10 | Ben Reeves | AM | (1991-11-19)19 November 1991 (aged 23) | Free agent | 2013 | Free |
| 14 | Samir Carruthers | AM | (1993-04-04)4 April 1993 (aged 22) | Aston Villa | 2014 | Undisclosed |
| 20 | Giorgio Rasulo | CM | (1997-01-23)23 January 1997 (aged 18) | Academy | 2012 | Trainee |
| 34 | Connor Furlong | CM | (1998-02-07)7 February 1998 (aged 17) | Academy | 2016 | Trainee |
| 44 | Jake Forster-Caskey | CM | (1994-04-25)25 April 1994 (aged 21) | Brighton & Hove Albion | 2016 | Loan |
| Forwards ||||||||
| 9 | Dean Bowditch | LW | (1986-06-15)15 June 1986 (aged 29) | Yeovil Town | 2011 | Free |
| 13 | Jay Emmanuel-Thomas | CF | (1990-12-27)27 December 1990 (aged 24) | Queens Park Rangers | 2016 | Loan |
| 17 | Daniel Powell | LW | (1991-03-12)12 March 1991 (aged 24) | Academy | 2008 | Trainee |
| 18 | Alex Revell | CF | (1983-07-07)7 July 1983 (aged 32) | Cardiff City | 2016 | Free |
| 27 | Kabongo Tshimanga | CF | (1997-07-22)22 July 1997 (aged 18) | Academy | 2014 | Trainee |
| 28 | Nicky Maynard | CF | (1986-12-11)11 December 1986 (aged 28) | Free agent | 2015 | Free |
| 33 | Josh Murphy | LW | (1995-02-24)24 February 1995 (aged 20) | Norwich City | 2015 | Loan |
| Out on loan ||||||||
| 2 | Lee Hodson | RB | (1991-10-02)2 October 1991 (aged 23) | Free agent | 2013 | Free |
| 11 | Simon Church | CF | (1988-12-10)10 December 1988 (aged 26) | Charlton Athletic | 2015 | Free |
| 19 | Tom Hitchcock | CF | (1992-10-01)1 October 1992 (aged 22) | Queens Park Rangers | 2014 | Free |
| Left club during season ||||||||
| 13 | Sam Gallagher | CF | (1995-09-15)15 September 1995 (aged 19) | Southampton | 2015 | Loan |
| 15 | Mark Randall | CM | (1989-09-28)28 September 1989 (aged 25) | Free agent | 2014 | Free |
| 18 | Sergio Aguza | CM | (1992-09-02)2 September 1992 (aged 22) | Real Madrid Castilla | 2015 | Free |
| 21 | Dale Jennings | LW | (1992-12-21)21 December 1992 (aged 22) | Barnsley | 2015 | Free |
| 23 | Cristian Benavente | AM | (1994-05-19)19 May 1994 (aged 21) | Real Madrid Castilla | 2015 | Free |
| 23 | Jonny Williams | AM | (1993-10-09)9 October 1993 (aged 21) | Crystal Palace | 2016 | Loan |
| 26 | Tom Flanagan | CB | (1991-10-21)21 October 1991 (aged 23) | Academy | 2010 | Trainee |
| 38 | Rob Hall | RW | (1993-10-20)20 October 1993 (aged 21) | Bolton Wanderers | 2015 | Loan |
| 39 | Diego Poyet | CM | (1995-04-08)8 April 1995 (aged 20) | West Ham United | 2015 | Loan |

## Transfers
### Transfers in

| Date from | Position | Name | From | Fee |
| 1 July 2015 | DF | Joe Walsh | Crawley Town | Undisclosed |
| 1 July 2015 | FW | Simon Church | Charlton Athletic | Free transfer |
| 1 July 2015 | GK | Cody Cropper | Southampton | Free transfer |
| 1 July 2015 | FW | Dale Jennings | Barnsley | Free transfer |
| 17 July 2015 | MF | Cristian Benavente | Real Madrid Castilla | Free transfer |
| 30 July 2015 | DF | Matthew Upson | Free agent | Free transfer |
| 31 July 2015 | MF | Sergio Aguza | Real Madrid Castilla | Free transfer |
| 22 September 2015 | FW | Nicky Maynard | Free agent | Free transfer |
| 1 February 2016 | FW | Alex Revell | Cardiff City | Free transfer |

### Transfers out

| Date from | Position | Name | To | Fee |
| 1 July 2015 | MF | Danny Green | Released | Released |
| 25 August 2015 | DF | Tom Flanagan | Burton Albion | Free transfer |
| 5 January 2016 | MF | Cristian Benavente | Released | Released |
| 14 January 2016 | MF | Mark Randall | Barnet | Free transfer |
| 16 January 2016 | MF | Sergio Aguza | Released | Released |

### Loans in

| Start date | Position | Name | From | End date |
| 28 July 2015 | FW | Rob Hall | Bolton Wanderers | 5 April 2016 |
| 29 July 2015 | FW | Sam Gallagher | Southampton | 6 January 2016 |
| 19 August 2015 | MF | Diego Poyet | West Ham United | 3 January 2016 |
| 21 August 2015 | FW | Josh Murphy | Norwich City | End of season |
| 8 January 2016 | MF | Jake Forster-Caskey | Brighton & Hove Albion | End of season |
| 22 January 2016 | MF | Jonny Williams | Crystal Palace | April 2016 |
| 1 February 2016 | FW | Jay Emmanuel-Thomas | Queens Park Rangers | End of season |
| 24 March 2016 | DF | Kevin Long | Burnley | End of season |

### Loans out

| Start date | Position | Name | To | End date |
| 1 July 2015 | DF | George Baldock | Oxford United | 28 January 2016 |
| 7 August 2015 | FW | Tom Hitchcock | Stevenage | October 2015 |
| 6 November 2015 | MF | Giorgio Rasulo | Oldham Athletic | 6 January 2016 |
| 14 January 2016 | DF | Harry Hickford | Dagenham & Redbridge | February 2016 |
| 1 February 2016 | FW | Simon Church | Aberdeen | End of season |
| 1 February 2016 | DF | Lee Hodson | Kilmarnock | End of season |
| 23 February 2016 | FW | Tom Hitchcock | Crewe Alexandra | End of season |
* ↑ Mutual contract termination.
* ↑ Previous club: Leicester City.
* ↑ Mutual contract termination.
* ↑ Previous club: Cardiff City.
* ↑ Mutual contract termination.
* ↑ Joined Luton Town on 4 July 2015.
* ↑ Mutual contract termination.
* ↑ Mutual contract termination. Joined Sporting Charleroi on 15 January 2016.
* ↑ Mutual contract termination.
* ↑ Mutual contract termination. Joined Ponferradina on 18 January 2016.
* ↑ Recalled due to injury. Originally until end of season.
* ↑ Recalled. Originally until end of season.
* ↑ Recalled. Originally until end of season.
* ↑ Recalled. Originally until end of season.
* ↑ Extended. Originally until September 2015.