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2. Nottingham Forest (1994/1995) - 3rd
Having finished bottom of the Premier League table in its inaugural season in 1992-93 (their first relegation since the 70s), Nottingham Forest were guided to a second-place finish in the First Division in the following year by Frank Clark, who had taken over from the legendary Brian Clough in 1993.
They enjoyed a brilliant start to life back in the top flight in the 1994-95 season with an 11-game unbeaten run, and like many others in this list even topped the table briefly. A mid-season lull was quickly forgotten and a strong finish to the season saw Forest finish third behind Blackburn Rovers (a recently-promoted outfit themselves) and Manchester United. In contrast, Crystal Palace, who were promoted ahead of Forest as champions, were relegated straight back to the second tier.
Their star performer was Stan Collymore, whose tally of 22 goals (more than he had managed in the First Division) secured a place in the UEFA Cup for Forest and a move to Liverpool for himself. Although they did reach the UEFA Cup quarter-finals the following season, Collymore’s departure saw Forest never quite reach those heights in the Premier League again and they were eventually relegated two years later. However, Forest’s third-place finish and 77-point haul in the 1994-95 season remains the joint-best ever season for a newly-promoted side, a record that has held for well over two decades.
