In the next season (1972–73), Maribor played in the second Yugoslav division and finished in second place, which meant that they qualified for the Yugoslav first division promotion play-off. In the first qualifying round against Montenegrin side Budućnost, Maribor won on penalties and qualified for the decisive round against Proleter. The first leg was played in Maribor on 8 July 1973, and is acknowledged as one of the most historic matches in history of the club as it still holds the club's attendance record. There were 20,000 spectators, 15,000 of whom were already present in the stands almost three hours before kick off, eventually helping Maribor win the game 3–1. However, the two-goal advantage proved to be insufficient as Proleter won the second leg in Zrenjanin 3–0 and earned promotion with the score 4–3 on aggregate. In the second leg match when the score was 1–0 for the home team, Ražić had scored an equaliser in the 23rd minute, but the goal was disallowed. The later TV replay showed that the ball had actually crossed the goal line and that the goal should have stood.