AN MD80 WAS DISPATCHED A THIRD TIME WITH AN UNREPAIRED NOSE LNDG GEAR UNSAFE LIGHT ON AFTER GEAR RETRACTION RESULTING IN A RETURN AND OVERWT LNDG.

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DURING PREFLT; I REVIEWED THE LOGBOOK AND FOUND THAT 2 PREVIOUS WRITE-UPS ABOUT THE NOSE GEAR RED LIGHT NOT GOING OUT AFTER GEAR RETRACTION. BOTH HAD BEEN SIGNED OFF WITH A FIX. AFTER TKOF; WE RAISED THE GEAR HANDLE AND THE NOSEWHEEL RED LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THERE WAS ALSO NO CHANGE IN THE AIR NOISE ASSOCIATED WITH THE NOSEWHEEL LEADING US TO BELIEVE IT WAS STILL AT LEAST PARTIALLY DOWN. WE STARTED THE ABNORMAL PROC IN THE OPERATING MANUAL. THE PROC CALLED FOR THE GEAR HANDLE TO BE LOWERED AND AFTER GEAR DOWN TO RAISE THE GEAR HANDLE AGAIN. UPON LOWERING THE GEAR HANDLE THE NOSE GEAR LIGHT IMMEDIATELY TURNED GREEN AND THERE WAS AN ABNORMALLY LOUD CLUNK THAT CAME FROM THE NOSE GEAR AREA. DUE TO THE LOUD CLUNK WHEN THE GEAR HANDLE WAS LOWERED AND THE PREVIOUS WRITE-UP IN THE LOGBOOK; I DECIDED NOT TO PROCEED WITH THE REST OF THE ABNORMAL PROC. WE LEFT THE GEAR DOWN AND FLEW A HOLDING PATTERN OVER ZZZ TO BURN FUEL FOR A RETURN TO ZZZ. AN EMER WAS DECLARED AND WE LANDED IN ZZZ AT A WT OF 131400 LBS. WE TURNED OFF AT THE A7 HIGH SPD; STOPPED THE ACFT AND MAINT LOOKED AND PINNED THE NOSE GEAR. THE GND CREW THEN TOWED THE ACFT TO THE GATE. DURING THIS PROB; WE ALSO HAD AN AUTOSPOILER 'DO NOT USE' LIGHT COME ON SO WE LANDED WITH MANUAL SPOILERS. THERE WAS ALSO A PREVIOUS WRITE-UP IN THE LOGBOOK ABOUT THE L REVERSER NOT UNLOCKING UPON LNDG. UPON OUR LNDG; THE L REVERSER DID NOT UNLOCK AGAIN.