1995–96 Liverpool F.C. season 1995–96 Liverpool F.C. season During the 1995–96 English football season, Liverpool F.C. competed in the FA Premier League (known as the FA Carling Premiership for sponsorship reasons). Having paid a national record £8.5million for Nottingham Forest striker Stan Collymore in the close season, Liverpool were many people's favourites for the league title in 1995–96 – especially as defending champions Blackburn Rovers had failed to significantly add to their squad and runners-up Manchester United had sold three key players but begun the season without a single major signing. 1994–95 had arguably been Liverpool's best season of the post-Dalglish era, as they
Derby County F.C.–Nottingham Forest F.C. rivalry which was Derby's second First Division title in four seasons. Brian Clough managed Derby County between June 1967 and October 1973, winning the Second Division title to gain promotion in 1968–69, and winning the First Division title in 1971–72. This was followed up by a controversial European Cup semi final loss to Juventus during the 1972–73 season. Clough joined Nottingham Forest in January 1975, following spells with Brighton and the famous 44 days in charge at Leeds Utd. Clough took over from Mackay's initial replacement Allan Brown, with Forest struggling in the Second Division. In 1977–78, Forest won the First