1981 New Zealand National Soccer League

The 1981 New Zealand National Soccer League was the 12th season of a nationwide round-robin club competition in New Zealand football. Wellington Diamond United won the league for a second time, having previously been champions in 1976. The league was the closest until this point, with only four points separating the top five teams.

Promotion was automatic, with the three lowest placed sides in the 1980 league (Stop Out, Blockhouse Bay, and Nelson United) replaced by the winners of the northern, central, and southern leagues (Takapuna City, Miramar Rangers, and Woolston WMC respectively).

The league was decided by goals for only the fourth time, and for the first time neither of the top two teams came from Auckland. Wellington Diamond United's efficient, if unspectacular, style of play won the day. The team which took them all the way in the title chase was unexpectedly Dunedin City, with the best performance ever recorded by a side from the deep south. Dunedin City were one point away from achieving the league and cup double, having won the 1981 Chatham Cup earlier in the season. City had led the league early on, but a mid-season form slump ruined their chances of taking the league. Mount Wellington also led the league for a while aften an excellent run of seven wins in which they only conceded one goal. Gisborne City was the other team to have briefly perched on top of the league, with an unbeated run in the early weeks of the season. New Zealand's successful 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign ruined their season, however; despite being granted postponements of several matches due to the loss of several top players and coach Kevin Fallon, they could not maintain their form once they resumed, and the backlog proved too much for them to cope with.

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