History of Nottingham Forest F.C. Stan Collymore, Stuart Pearce and the Dutch international Bryan Roy were among the most feared players in the Premiership. But Collymore was sold to Liverpool in June 1995 for a then English record fee of £8.4 million, and his £2 million Italian successor Andrea Silenzi was considered to be a disappointing signing. With Collymore gone, Forest's goals dried up in the Premiership during 1995–96 and they finished ninth - although they did reach the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup, making them the only English team to reach the last eight of any European competition that season. Clark added Welsh striker
1996–97 Nottingham Forest F.C. season 1996–97 Nottingham Forest F.C. season During the 1996–97 English football season, Nottingham Forest F.C. competed in the FA Premier League (known as the FA Carling Premiership for sponsorship reasons). After a Kevin Campbell hat-trick earnt Nottingham Forest an impressive 3-0 away win at Coventry City on the season's opening game, an appalling 4-1 home defeat to Premiership newcomers Sunderland prompted a dismal start to the season which saw them fail to win any of their next 16 league games until a shock 2-1 home win over title contenders Arsenal on 21 December 1996. Ultimately, Forest were bottom of the Premiership