Poland had unusual season. Similarly to Sweden, Polish football was going through minor crisis – a change of generations. It was noticed at the 1978 World Cup and perhaps reached its lowest point in 1979-80 – by now, hardly anyone of the great 1974 squad was playing in Poland. New stars were still not at the their prime and the vacuum was enlarged by the traditional absense of bid clubs – good players were scattered in the whole league. The leading clubs of the most of the 1970s suffered by the exodus of their stars – Stal (Mielec), Ruch (Chorzow), and, to a point, Wisla (Krakow). Apart from purely football problems, there was a political one: Polish workers demanded economic and political changes, ‘Solidarity’ was born, industrial towns were on strike, tensions grew, and football was the last thing on people’s minds – including players, coaches, and officials. But the championship was played in full.
In the Second Division nothing special happened.
Baltyk (Gdynia) won the Western Group and was promoted to top flight. Zaglebie (Walbrzych) was a contestant of a kind, finishing 3 points behind the winners. Both clubs were head and shoulders above the rest of the league.
The Eastern Group did not have even resemblance of a rivalry.
Motor (Lublin) finished 10 points ahead of 2nd place Gwardia (Warszawa). Technically, the Eastern Group should have been the stronger half of the Second Division, judging by the clubs playing in it, but this was only on paper – since most clubs came from industrial cities, the political situation perhaps made the champion weaker than usual. Still, Motor and Baltyk ended champions and promoted to higher level.