The Royals' first season in the Barclays Premiership was a huge success when compared to other freshly promoted teams in recent years.

Out of the 32 teams to enter the Premiership since the top flight was reduced to 38 games in 1995/6, only two gained more points than our season total of 55 - Sunderland with 58 points in 1999/2000 and Ipswich with 66 in 2000/1. West Ham also gained 55 last season.

Since the birth of the Premiership in 1992, Ipswich's first-season performance of fifth has only been bettered by Blackburn's fourth-placed finish in 1992/3, Newcastle United who came third in 1993/4 and Nottingham Forest who matched that feat under Frank Clark the following season.

However, no matter how good any of these achievements, they dont' compare with Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest in the late seventies, who won the title in their first season after promotion and then won back-to-back European Cups in the next two campaigns!