1978 New Zealand National Soccer League

The 1978 New Zealand National Soccer League was the ninth season of a nationwide round-robin club competition in New Zealand football. A change was made from previous years, with the replacement of goal average by goal difference as a means for ranking teams equal on points.

Promotion was automatic, with the three lowest placed sides in the 1977 league (New Brighton, Dunedin City, and Caversham) replaced by the winners of the northern, central, and southern leagues (Courier Rangers, Waterside, and Woolston WMC respectively).

The 1978 league saw a return of the traditional top-of-the-table rivalry between Trans Tours Christchurch United and Mount Wellington, with the Christchurch side narrowly finishing top. The Mount led the league for long periods of the season, but this was largely due to Christchurch having played less games. The outstanding matches saw results go in the southerners' favour, and they became the first side to record a third league title. Nelson United were the Mount's bogey team again, holding on for a draw in the last game of the season to leave the Aucklanders in second place. They had previously upset the odds by beating Mount Wellington in the 1977 Chatham Cup final.

Both Blockhouse Bay and Eastern Suburbs greatly improved on their 1977 league performance to finish in the top four. In the case of Suburbs this was largely through the importation of English players Bryn Gunn and Steve Elliot from Nottingham Forest. Elliot made the most of his stint with Suburbs, scoring 17 times in just 12 matches.

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