The 1996-97 campaign was a devastating, turbulent year for Nottingham Forest as The Reds finished a crushing 20th in the Premier League, resulting in relegation after a disastrous 16-game winless run under Frank Clark. The striking threat was split between Kevin Campbell and the emerging Alf-Inge Haaland, who both netted 6 crucial league goals, with Campbell famously grabbing a hat-trick on the opening day. Despite a mid-season revival under player-caretaker manager Stuart Pearce, who earned the Manager of the Month award in January, the team could not escape the drop, marking a painful and defining chapter in the club's modern history.