1994–95 Nottingham Forest F.C. season to succeed in life after Brian Clough as new manager Frank Clark guided them to an impressive third-place finish and UEFA Cup qualification, giving Forest their first European campaign of the post-Heysel era. Striker Stan Collymore was on target 22 times in the league and speculation that he would be on his way to another club proved correct at the end of the season when he sold to Liverpool for a national record fee of £8.4 million. The failure of Clark to buy a proven replacement cast significant doubt over whether Forest could mount a serious challenge for honours in
1995–96 in English football football team. 22 December 1995: Bolton Wanderers, the bottom club in the Premier League, paid a club-record £1.2 million for Sheffield United striker Nathan Blake. 23 December 1995: Coventry City defeated Everton 2-1 at home. Robbie Fowler scored a hat-trick for Liverpool at home against Arsenal for the second season running in a 3-1 win. Newcastle United extended their lead to 10 points with a 3-1 win over Nottingham Forest. 24 December 1995: Newcastle remained 10 points ahead as their nearest rivals, Manchester United, lost 3-1 at Leeds United. 27 December 1995: Manchester United cuts the lead in the FA