| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Country | Scotland |
| Dates | 30 July 2015 – 13 March 2016 |
| Teams | 42 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Ross County |
| Runners-up | Hibernian |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 41 |
| Goals scored | 141 (3.44 per match) |
| Top goal scorer(s) | Liam Boyce Faissal El Bakhtaoui Jason Cummings (4 goals each)[1] |
The2015–16Scottish League Cup was the 70th season of Scotland's second-most prestigiousfootball knockout competition. It is also known asThe Scottish League Cup presented by Utilita for sponsorship reasons.[2]
Ross County defeatedHibernian 2–1 in thefinal on 13 March.[3]
This was Ross County's second major trophy final ever, having previously lost the2010 Scottish Cup Final, and their first major Scottish honour.
Despite losing this final, Hibs would recover from the blow and end upwinning the Scottish Cup two months later, ending a 114-year drought.
This edition of the tournament also marked the first time in the competition's history in which there were six different champions in the most recent six editions, withCeltic,Aberdeen,St. Mirren,Kilmarnock andRangers having been the five previous champions.
The competition is asingle elimination knock-out competition. In each round, fixtures are determined by random draw, with the first to third rounds seeded according to last season's league positions (higher 50% of finishers drawn v lower 50% of finishers, alternating which is at home with each tie drawn).
Fixtures are played to a finish, withextra time and then penalties used in the event of draws. The competition is open to all clubs in theScottish Professional Football League. Clubs involved in European competitions are given a bye to the third round to avoid congestion of fixtures.
The following teams qualified and competed in the 2015–16 Scottish League Cup.
There are 12 teams from the2014–15 Scottish Premiership.
There are 10 teams from the2014–15 Scottish Championship.
There are 10 teams from the2014–15 Scottish League One.
There are 10 teams from the2014–15 Scottish League Two.
The first round draw took place on Monday 6 July 2015 at 2:30pm BST at theHampden Park Stadium. The 30 clubs that participated in the Championship, League One and League Two in the 2014–15 season entered the competition at this stage. The 12 clubs that participated in the 2014–15 Scottish Premiership received a bye.[4]
| Pot 1 | Pot 2 |
|---|---|
Scottish Championship: Scottish League One: | Scottish League One: Scottish League Two: |
| 30 July 2015 | Heart of Midlothian | 4–2 | Arbroath | Edinburgh |
| 19:45 | McGhee 57'Sow 60',61' (pen.)Wilson 90' (o.g.) | BBC Sport Report | Gold 40' Grehan 85' | Stadium:Tynecastle Stadium Attendance: 6,240 Referee:Alan Muir |
| 31 July 2015 | Falkirk | 5–0 | East Stirlingshire | Cumbernauld |
| 19:45 | Muirhead 17' Baird 57'Vidler 68' (o.g.)McHugh 70'Alston 78' | BBC Sport Report | Stadium:Broadwood Stadium Attendance: 881 Referee:Salmond |
| 1 August 2015 | Berwick Rangers | 3–2 (a.e.t.) | Alloa Athletic | Berwick-upon-Tweed |
| 15:00 | Lavery 56' Morris 77'Banjo 97' | BBC Sport Report | Flannigan 6',21' | Stadium:Shielfield Park Attendance: 405 Referee:Charleston |
| 1 August 2015 | Stirling Albion | 0–1 | Airdrieonians | Stirling |
| 15:00 | BBC Sport Report | Morton 41' | Stadium:Forthbank Stadium Attendance: 799 Referee:Roncone |
| 1 August 2015 | Raith Rovers | 3–0 | Albion Rovers | Kirkcaldy |
| 15:00 | Vaughan 16' (pen.) Benedictus 38'McKeown 54' | BBC Sport Report | Stadium:Stark's Park Attendance: 1,163 Referee:Walsh |
| 1 August 2015 | Annan Athletic | 3–4 (a.e.t.) | Queen of the South | Annan |
| 15:00 | Osadolor 59' Weatherson 63',72'Black  93'  Omar  118' | BBC Sport Report | Conroy 42' Lyle 65',100'Hilson 90' | Stadium:Galabank Attendance: 1,359 Referee:Graham |
| 1 August 2015 | Livingston | 1–0 (a.e.t.) | Clyde | Livingston |
| 15:00 | White 110' | BBC Sport Report | Stadium:Almondvale Stadium Attendance: 664 Referee:John McKendrick |
| 1 August 2015 | Dunfermline Athletic | 5–1 | Cowdenbeath | Dunfermline |
| 15:00 | El Bakhtaoui 49',90' Byrne 56',78'Wallace 74' (pen.) | BBC Sport Report | Hughes 58' Andrews 72' | Stadium:East End Park Attendance: 2,756 Referee:Salmond |
| 1 August 2015 | Hibernian | 3–0 | Montrose | Edinburgh |
| 15:00 | Martin 33' Allan 71'Cummings 82' | BBC Sport Report | Stadium:Easter Road Attendance: 5,933 Referee:Beaton |
| 1 August 2015 | East Fife | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (4–3p) | Dumbarton | Methil |
| 15:00 | Austin 48' | BBC Sport Report | Cawley 65' | Stadium:Bayview Stadium Attendance: 461 Referee:Kirkland |
| Penalties | ||||
| 1 August 2015 | Greenock Morton | 5–0 | Elgin City | Greenock |
| 15:00 | McCluskey 48' Johnstone 68'Scullion 70',83'Forbes 74' (pen.) | BBC Sport Report | Stadium:Cappielow Attendance: 1,052 Referee:Cook |
| 1 August 2015 | Queen's Park | 0–2 | Forfar Athletic | Glasgow |
| 15:00 | BBC Sport Report | Young 16' Denholm 29' | Stadium:Hampden Park Attendance: 441 Referee:Duncan |
| 1 August 2015 | Stranraer | 2–0 | Stenhousemuir | Stranraer |
| 15:00 | Malcolm 15',90' | BBC Sport Report | Stadium:Stair Park Attendance: 345 Referee:Robertson |
| 1 August 2015 | Ayr United | 2–0 | Brechin City | Ayr |
| 15:00 | McLauchlan 12' Boyle 64' | BBC Sport Report | Stadium:Somerset Park Attendance: 976 Referee:Anderson |
| 2 August 2015 | Rangers | 3–0 | Peterhead | Glasgow |
| 15:00 | Templeton 41' Miller 76'Tavernier 82' | BBC Sport Report | Stadium:Ibrox Stadium Attendance: 25,608 Referee:Aitken |
The second round draw took place on Monday 3 August 2015 at 2:30pm BST at theHampden Park Stadium. The clubs that finished in the bottom 7 places of last season's Premiership entered at this stage joining the 15 first round winners.[5]
| Pot 1 | Pot 2 |
|---|---|
Scottish Premiership: Scottish Championship: | Scottish Championship: Scottish League One: Scottish League Two: |
| 25 August 2015 | Ross County | 2–0 | Ayr United | Dingwall |
| 19:45 | Boyce 3' Gardyne 50' | BBC Sport Report | Stadium:Global Energy Stadium Attendance: 1,743 Referee:Charleston |
| 25 August 2015 | Forfar Athletic | 1–2 (a.e.t.) | Heart of Midlothian | Forfar |
| 19:45 | Dunlop 84' Denholm 90+1' Nichol 120+1' | BBC Sport Report | McHattie 74' Paterson 107' | Stadium:Station Park Attendance: 1,844 Referee:Aitken |
| 25 August 2015 | Kilmarnock | 4–1 | Berwick Rangers | Kilmarnock |
| 19:45 | Boyd 16' (pen.) McKenzie 70'Slater 77'Higginbotham 90' | BBC Sport Report | Lavery 55' | Stadium:Rugby Park Attendance:McKendrick Referee: 1,484 |
| 25 August 2015 | Raith Rovers | 2–1 | Hamilton Academical | Kirkcaldy |
| 19:45 | Davidson 3' Benedictus 81' | BBC Sport Report | Nadé 66' | Stadium:Stark's Park Attendance:Roberston Referee: 1,470 |
| 25 August 2015 | Queen of the South | 0–1 | Greenock Morton | Dumfries |
| 19:45 | BBC Sport Report | Forbes 69' | Stadium:Palmerston Park Attendance: 1,034 Referee:Dallas |
| 25 August 2015 | Dunfermline Athletic | 3–1 | Dundee | Dunfermline |
| 19:45 | El Bakhtaoui 11',90+4' Cardle 86' | BBC Sport Rerport | Hemmings 48' | Stadium:East End Park Attendance: 3,806 Referee:Finnie |
| 25 August 2015 | Partick Thistle | 0–1 | Falkirk | Glasgow |
| 19:45 | BBC Sport Report | Grant 32' | Stadium:Firhill Stadium Attendance: 2,221 Referee:Thomson |
| 25 August 2015 | East Fife | 1–3 (a.e.t.) | Motherwell | Methil |
| 19:45 | Austin 60' | BBC Sport Report | Moult 80' McDonald 103'Ainsworth 107' | Stadium:Bayview Stadium Attendance: 1,158 Referee:Cook |
| 25 August 2015 | St Mirren | 2–3 | Livingston | Paisley |
| 19:45 | Gallagher 16' Mallan 45' | BBC Sport Report | Buchanan 41' Mullen 45' 90+1' Gallagher 84' | Stadium:St Mirren Park Attendance: 1,568 Referee:Colvin |
| 26 August 2015 | Hibernian | 1–0 | Stranraer | Edinburgh |
| 19:45 | Rumsby 54' (o.g.) | BBC Sport Report | Stadium:Easter Road Attendance: 5,224 Referee:Clancy |
| 26 August 2015 | Airdrieonians | 0–5 | Rangers | Airdrie |
| 19:45 | BBC Sport Report | Clark 5' Halliday 14'Waghorn 15'Shiels 84'Tavernier 88' | Stadium:Excelsior Stadium Attendance: 7,006 Referee:Anderson |
The third round draw took place on Thursday 27 August 2015 at 2:30pm BST at theHampden Park Stadium. The 4 clubs that participated in the2014–15 Scottish Premiership season and qualified for European competition entered the competition at this stage along withDundee United, the highest placed non-Europe qualifying side.[6]
| Pot 1 | Pot 2 |
|---|---|
Scottish Premiership: | Scottish Championship: Scottish League One: |
| 22 September 2015 | Dundee United | 3–1 (a.e.t.) | Dunfermline Athletic | Dundee |
| 19:45 | Morris 35' Fraser 96'Spittal 99' | BBC Sport Report | Paton 10' | Stadium:Tannadice Park Attendance: 5,174 Referee:Beaton |
| 22 September 2015 | Livingston | 0–2 | Inverness Caledonian Thistle | Livingston |
| 19:45 | BBC Sport Report | Storey 12' Devine 43' | Stadium:Tony Macaroni Arena Attendance: 644 Referee:Muir |
| 22 September 2015 | Greenock Morton | 3–2 (a.e.t.) | Motherwell | Greenock |
| 19:45 | Samuel 11',100' Tidser 112' | BBC Sport Report | McDonald 90+1' Moult 116' | Stadium:Cappielow Attendance: 2,539 Referee:Aitken |
| 22 September 2015 | Rangers | 1–3 | St Johnstone | Glasgow |
| 19:15 | Tavernier 62' | BBC Sport Report | Davidson 19' Lappin 29'O'Halloran 46' | Stadium:Ibrox Stadium Attendance: 27,094 Referee:Clancy |
| 22 September 2015 | Ross County | 7–0 | Falkirk | Dingwall |
| 19:45 | Boyce 30',35',40' De Vita 46'Franks 54'Graham 58'Holden 81' | BBC Sport Report | Stadium:Global Energy Stadium Attendance: 1,341 Referee:Finnie |
| 23 September 2015 | Celtic | 2–0 | Raith Rovers | Glasgow |
| 19:45 | Commons 32' Johansen 87' | BBC Sport Report | Stadium:Celtic Park Attendance: 13,591 Referee:McKendrick |
| 23 September 2015 | Hibernian | 2–0 | Aberdeen | Edinburgh |
| 19:45 | Cummings 82' Malonga 88' | BBC Sport Report | Stadium:Easter Road Attendance: 11,092 Referee:McLean |
| 23 September 2015 | Kilmarnock | 2–3 | Heart of Midlothian | Kilmarnock |
| 19:45 | Magennis 13',80' | BBC Sport Report | Ozturk 74' Juanma Delgado 90'Nicholson 90' | Stadium:Rugby Park Attendance: 3,249 Referee:Thomson |
The quarter-final draw took place on Monday 28 September 2015 at 2:30pm atHampden Park, all teams were placed in the same pot.[7]
| Pot 1 |
|---|
Scottish Premiership: Scottish Championship: Scottish League One: |
| 27 October 2015 | Inverness Caledonian Thistle (1) | 1–2 | Ross County (1) | Inverness |
| 19:05 | Tansey 78' | BBC Sport Report | Irvine 41' Gardyne 48' | Stadium:Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 3,004 Referee:McLean |
| 27 October 2015 | Greenock Morton (3) | 1–3 | St Johnstone (1) | Greenock |
| 19:45 | Johnstone 52' | BBC Sport Report | MacLean 61' (pen.) O'Halloran 63'Kane 83' | Stadium:Cappielow Attendance: 2,433 Referee:Thomson |
| 28 October 2015 | Heart of Midlothian (1) | 1–2 | Celtic (1) | Edinburgh |
| 19:45 | Djoum 90' | BBC Sport Report | Griffiths 71' Rogić 82' | Stadium:Tynecastle Stadium Attendance: 11,598 Referee:John Beaton |
| 4 November 2015 | Hibernian (2) | 3–0 | Dundee United (1) | Edinburgh |
| 19:45 | Gray 20' Cummings 61' (pen.)Stevenson 90' | BBC Sport Report | Stadium:Easter Road Attendance: 11,891 Referee:Willie Collum |
The semi-final draw took place on Monday 9 November 2015 at 2:00pm atHampden Park, all teams were placed in the same pot.[8]
| Pot 1 |
|---|
Scottish Premiership: Scottish Championship: |
| 30 January 2016 | Hibernian (2) | 2–1 | St Johnstone (1) | Edinburgh |
| 15:00 | Cummings 29' (pen.) McGinn 74' | BBC Sport Report | Shaughnessy 33' | Stadium:Tynecastle Stadium Attendance: 16,971 Referee:McLean |
| 31 January 2016 | Ross County (1) | 3–1 | Celtic (1) | Glasgow |
| 15:00 | M. Woods 15' (pen.) Quinn 48'Schalk 63' | BBC Sport Report | Mackay-Steven 1' Ambrose 13' | Stadium:Hampden Park Attendance: 22,130 Referee:Thomson |
| Hibernian | 1–2 | Ross County |
|---|---|---|
| Fontaine 45' | BBC Sport Report | Gardyne 25' Schalk 90' |
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Liam Boyce | Ross County | 4 |
 Jason Cummings | Hibernian | ||
 Faissal El Bakhtaoui | Dunfermline Athletic | ||
| 4 |  Michael Gardyne | Ross County | 3 |
 James Tavernier | Rangers | ||
| 5 | 18 players | 2 | |
