Nottingham Forest’s Premier League history is a story of sharp contrasts.
The Reds entered the competition under legendary manager Brian Clough but suffered relegation during its inaugural season. An immediate return was followed by a remarkable third-place finish, European qualification and one of Forest’s strongest modern teams.
That revival did not last. Two further relegations brought Forest’s first Premier League period to an end in 1999, beginning a 23-year absence from the top flight. The club later fell into League One and spent years attempting to escape the Championship.
Promotion under Steve Cooper in 2022 finally returned Forest to the Premier League. After two difficult survival campaigns, the club mounted an unexpected challenge for Champions League qualification in 2024/25 before experiencing another turbulent season.
From Clough’s departure to the modern revival at the City Ground, this is the complete Nottingham Forest Premier League timeline.
1992: Nottingham Forest Become a Founding Premier League Club
Nottingham Forest entered the inaugural Premier League season as one of its 22 founding members.
The club possessed one of the most distinguished recent histories in English football. Under Clough and his assistant Peter Taylor, Forest had won the First Division, two European Cups, four League Cups and the European Super Cup.
Clough remained manager when the Premier League launched, but the team was no longer operating at the level of its European champions.
Several important players had departed, while an ageing squad required renewal. Forest had also sold striker Teddy Sheringham to Tottenham Hotspur shortly after he scored the club’s first Premier League goal.
1992/93: Brian Clough’s Final Season Ends in Relegation
Forest struggled throughout the inaugural Premier League campaign.
The Reds lacked goals and defensive consistency, winning only 10 of their 42 league matches. A team that had finished eighth and reached the League Cup final one year earlier became increasingly vulnerable.
Relegation was confirmed following a home defeat against Sheffield United in May 1993.
Forest finished…
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