A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
| Season | 2015–16 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 1 August 2015 – 22 May 2016 |
| Champions | Celtic 3rd Premiership title 47th Scottish title |
| Relegated | Dundee United |
| Champions League | Celtic |
| Europa League | Aberdeen Heart of Midlothian |
| Matches played | 228 |
| Goals scored | 650 (2.85 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Leigh Griffiths (31 goals)[1] |
| Biggest home win | Celtic 8–1 Hamilton Academical[2] (19 January 2016) |
| Biggest away win | Kilmarnock 0–4 Dundee[2] (1 August 2015) Kilmarnock 0–4 Ross County[2] (22 August 2015) Aberdeen 1–5 St Johnstone[2] (3 October 2015) Partick Thistle 0–4 Heart of Midlothian[2] (31 October 2015) Kilmarnock 0–4 Aberdeen[2] (19 December 2015) |
| Highest scoring | Celtic 8–1 Hamilton Academical[2] (19 January 2016) |
| Longest winning run | 8 matches:[2] Aberdeen |
| Longest unbeaten run | 12 matches:[2] Aberdeen |
| Longest winless run | 10 matches:[2] Dundee United |
| Longest losing run | 5 matches:[2] Partick Thistle |
| Highest attendance | 49,050[2] Celtic 7–0 Motherwell (15 May 2016) |
| Lowest attendance | 1,516[2] Hamilton Academical 0–1 Inverness CT (11 May 2016) |
| Total attendance | 2,237,437[2] |
| Average attendance | 9,644 ( 838)[2] |
← 2014–15 2016–17 →
All statistics correct as of 15 May 2016. | |
The 2015–16 Scottish Premiership (known as the Ladbrokes Premiership for sponsorship reasons) was the third season of the Scottish Premiership, the highest division of Scottish football. The season began on 1 August 2015.[3] Celtic were the defending champions.
Twelve teams contested the league: Aberdeen, Celtic, Dundee, Dundee United, Hamilton Academical, Heart of Midlothian, Inverness CT, Kilmarnock, Motherwell, Partick Thistle, Ross County and St Johnstone.
Teams
Promoted from Scottish Championship
Relegated from Scottish Premiership
Stadia and locations
| Aberdeen | Celtic | Dundee | Dundee United |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pittodrie Stadium | Celtic Park | Dens Park | Tannadice Park |
| Capacity: 20,897[4] | Capacity: 60,355[5] | Capacity: 11,506[6] | Capacity: 14,229[7] |
|
|
|
|
| Hamilton Academical |   Location of teams in 2015–16 Scottish Premiership |
Heart of Midlothian | |
| New Douglas Park | Tynecastle Stadium | ||
| Capacity: 6,078[8] | Capacity: 17,529[9] | ||
|
| ||
| Inverness Caledonian Thistle | Kilmarnock | ||
| Caledonian Stadium | Rugby Park | ||
| Capacity: 7,800[10] | Capacity: 18,128[11] | ||
|
| ||
| Motherwell | Partick Thistle | Ross County | St Johnstone |
| Fir Park | Firhill Stadium | Victoria Park | McDiarmid Park |
| Capacity: 13,677[12] | Capacity: 10,102[13] | Capacity: 6,541[14] | Capacity: 10,696[15] |
|
|
|
|
Personnel and kits
| Team | Manager | Captain | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen |  Derek McInnes
|
Ryan Jack
|
Adidas | Saltire Energy |
| Celtic |  Ronny Deila
|
Scott Brown
|
New Balance | Magners |
| Dundee | Paul Hartley
|
 James McPake
|
Puma | Kilmac Energy |
| Dundee United | Gordon Young (interim)
|
 Seán Dillon
|
Nike | Calor |
| Hamilton Academical | Martin Canning
|
Michael McGovern
|
Adidas[16] | Nevis (H), Scotia Aid (A) |
| Heart of Midlothian | Robbie Neilson
|
 Alim Öztürk
|
Puma | Save the Children |
| Inverness CT | John Hughes
|
Richie Foran
|
Carbrini | Subway |
| Kilmarnock |  Lee Clark
|
Mark Connolly
|
Erreà | QTS |
| Motherwell | Mark McGhee
|
Keith Lasley
|
Macron | Cash Converters |
| Partick Thistle | Alan Archibald
|
 Abdul Osman
|
Joma | Kingsford Capital Management |
| Ross County | Jim McIntyre
|
Andrew Davies
|
Carbrini | Stanley CRC Evans Offshore |
| St Johnstone | Tommy Wright
|
Dave Mackay
|
Joma | Invest in Perth |
Managerial changes
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motherwell | Ian Baraclough
|
Sacked | 23 September 2015[17] | 10th | Mark McGhee
|
13 October 2015[18] |
| Dundee United | Jackie McNamara
|
26 September 2015[19] | 11th |  Mixu Paatelainen
|
14 October 2015[20] | |
| Kilmarnock | Gary Locke
|
Resigned | 30 January 2016[21] | 11th | Lee McCulloch (interim)
|
30 January 2016[21] |
| Kilmarnock | Lee McCulloch
|
End of interim | 15 February 2016[22] | 10th | Lee Clark
|
15 February 2016[22] |
| Dundee United | Mixu Paatelainen
|
Sacked | 4 May 2016[23] | 12th | Gordon Young (interim)
|
4 May 2016[24] |
Tournament format and regulations
Basic
In the initial phase of the season, the 12 teams will play a round-robin tournament whereby each team plays each one of the other teams three times. After 33 games, the league splits into two sections of six teams, with each team playing each other in that section. The league attempts to balance the fixture list so that teams in the same section play each other twice at home and twice away, but sometimes this is impossible. A total of 228 matches will be played, with 38 matches played by each team.
Promotion and relegation
Heart of Midlothian were promoted as 2014–15 Scottish Championship winners. On 2 May, bottom club Dundee United were defeated 2–1 away to their city rivals Dundee, a defeat which confined them to relegation of the Championship. Craig Wighton, a local Dundee fan, scored the winning goal in the 92nd minute of the game. The champion of that league will be promoted to the Premiership for the 2016–17 season. The team that finishes 11th in the Premiership will play the winner of the Championship playoffs (teams that finish 2nd, 3rd and 4th in the Championship) in two playoff games, with the winner securing a Premiership spot for the 2016–17 season.