1972 New Zealand National Soccer League

The 1972 New Zealand National Soccer League was the third season of a nationwide round-robin club competition in New Zealand football.

Western Suburbs FC finished last in the 1971 league, and joined the winners of the Northern, Central, and Southern leagues — Takapuna City (North Shore), Waterside (Wellington), and New Brighton (Christchurch) respectively — in a play-off series to decide the team which would be granted entry to the national league. Teams all played each other in home and away ties, as a result of which New Brighton gained entry to the league.

There were two further changes to the league from the previous year; Dunedin Suburbs disbanded as a team, their place being taken by the Caversham side who had been instrumental in this short-lived union, and Mount Albert-Ponsonby also renamed themselves - briefly - as Auckland City.

A very close finish to the season saw three teams at the top finish within one point of each other. Again it was Auckland teams plus Christchurch United who dominated the table, with Mount Wellington finishing strongly to pip Blockhouse Bay to the title. The Mount's win was largely the work of coach Ken Armstrong, and was underpinned by an excellent home record, with eight wins and one solitary loss. Blockhouse Bay's Iain Ormond was by far the league's top scorer, his 22 goals being one more than the entire Auckland City tally. A final match scoreless draw against Gisborne City was to cost them the league. They led the table at that point, but Mount Wellington won its two outstanding matches to take the trophy.

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