The 1994–95 season was the 115th season of competitive football in England. Overview Premiership Blackburn Rovers ended their 81-year wait for the league title thanks to the strike partnership of Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton which scored a total of more than 50 league goals. Manchester United would have made it three league titles in a row if they had been able to turn a 1–1 draw with West Ham United into a win on the final day of the season. Newly promoted Nottingham Forest finished third and qualified for the UEFA Cup along with fourth placed Liverpool (also League Cup winners) and fifth placed Leeds United. After this season the Premier League would be reduced to 20 clubs, so there would be four relegation places this time round. They were occupied by Crystal Palace, Norwich City (who had finished third two seasons earlier), Leicester City and Ipswich Town. Division One The streamlining of the Premier League meant that just two clubs would be promoted from Division One in 1995. Middlesbrough won the Division One title in their first season under Bryan Robson, while Reading were the club that were to fail to win promotion despite finishing second in the table. Instead, they competed in the playoffs, losing to Bolton Wanderers in the final, who achieved their second promotion in three years under Bruce Rioch – as well as being League Cup runners-up. 1995 saw four clubs relegated from Division One – Swindon Town (relegated for the second straight season), Burnley, Bristol City and Notts County. Sunderland narrowly avoided the drop following the arrival of enthusiastic new manager Peter Reid, who over the next few years would bring dramatic improvements to the Wearsiders. Division Two There would only be two promotion places in Division Two for 1994–95. They were occupied by champions Birmingham City and playoff winners Huddersfield Town, both enjoying success after seasons of disappointment. Birmingham City also won the Football League Trophy and completed the "lower-league Double". Going down were Cambridge United, Plymouth Argyle, Cardiff City, Chester City and Leyton Orient Division Three This season saw three clubs go up from Division Three instead of four clubs. They were champions Carlisle United, runners-up Walsall and playoff winners Chesterfield. Exeter City, who almost went out of business in mid-season, finished bottom of Division Three but kept their league status because Conference champions Macclesfield Town were unable to meet the