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
1865–66 Nottingham Forest F.C. season 1865–66 Nottingham Forest F.C. season The 1865–66 season was Nottingham Forest's first season in existence. Nottingham Forest Football Club originally emerged from a group of "shinney" players who played a then popular game very similar to hockey. At a time when football began to emerge as a growing force, a special meeting took place in 1865 at the Clinton Arms, Shakespeare St. to discuss a proposition moved by J.S.Scrimshaw to switch games from "shinney" to football. This was passed, and the first official football match played was on 22 March 1866 against Notts County (who had been formed in 1862).