The "Gdańsk Derby" () is the name given to describe football matches between teams in Gdańsk, Poland. While this term can be used for any team in Gdańsk historically this term has been used for games involving Gedania Gdańsk, Lechia Gdańsk and Stoczniowiec Gdańsk, historically the three biggest teams in the city of Gdańsk. Lechia Gdańsk is both the most successful team in Gdańsk as well as the most successful team in the derby. Through most of the derby's history, the derby has been played in the second and third divisions, with more recent Gdańsk Derbies being played in the regional divisions. There has never been a Gdańsk Derby in the top division as Lechia Gdańsk are currently the only team from Gdańsk to have ever played in the Ekstraklasa.
History
The first post-war football match in Gdańsk was played by Milicyjny KS Pogoń, playing against Soviet soldiers who were stationed in Gdańsk at the time. The first recorded competitive post-war derby was between Lechia Gdańsk and WKS 16 Dywizji on 9 September 1945 with Lechia winning the game 9-1. It is also the same two teams who hold the record for the biggest win in the derby, with Lechia winning away at WKS 16 Dywizji 13–0 on 30 September 1945. The record for the highest scoring game was contested between Lechia Gdańsk and Płomień Gdańsk on 9 December 1945, with the game finishing as an 11–4 win to Lechia. Lechia also holds the record for documented fixtures, having played in at least 69 Gdańsk Derbies also holding the record for the most wins with 41. Stoczniowiec Gdańsk hold the record for having the documented most draws, while Gedania hold the record for the most documented defeats in the derby.
At least 14 teams have played in the Gdańsk Derby, with the derby having been played more than 100 times since 1945. The majority of the teams who featured in the derby in the 1940s only experienced short spells of playing in the league, most likely due to their sports clubs closing down or merging with other clubs. Gedania Gdańsk, Lechia Gdańsk and Stoczniowiec Gdańsk are seen as the big three teams in the derby due to all three teams being created in 1945 and being among the few teams to not be dissolved which resulted in the teams playing each other often over the following decades. The only other two teams who are now able to play in the Gdańsk Derby are Jaguar Gdańsk and Portowiec Gdańsk, both teams being formed after the other three and having had much lower levels of success in the leagues.
Lechia are considered the biggest team in Gdańsk by some margin. This is due to them being the only team from Gdańsk to play in the Ekstraklasa and having won the Polish Cup twice, most recently in 2019. Stoczniowiec would be seen as Gdańsk's second biggest team due to the number of years they spent in the second and third divisions. In recent years however they have struggled in the lower divisions and have funded themselves as one of the lowest ranked teams in Gdańsk. Gedania have also struggled in recent years and have only seen success outside of the regional leagues during the 1945-51 period of their history. Portowiec has often only played in the regional leagues other than short spells in the third division during the 1970s and 1980s. The youngest team of those listed, Jaguar Gdańsk, has slowly been rising up the leagues and has been involved in many Gdańsk Derby's in recent years.
The historic big three
The "big three" or "main three" teams in the Gdańsk Derby are Gedania Gdańsk, Lechia Gdańsk and Stoczniowiec Gdańsk. All three teams were founded in 1945 after the end of World War II, along with many other sports and football clubs in Gdańsk. While the other teams were eventually closed down, these three teams have kept functioning to the present day. Each team has had its period of success, and times when they could be seen as the biggest team in Gdańsk; Gedania during the early 1950s, Lechia during the 1940s, 1950s, 1980s, and since the turn of the century, and Stoczniowiec in the 1960s and 1970s.
Gedania vs Lechia
Both teams faced each other often in their early years, with the teams playing 9 times in the league in the first six years of their creations. After 1951, when Lechia were promoted to the top division, the teams did not face each other again until the 2003-04 season. This was due to Lechia having to restart from the lower tiers and passing Gedania on their way back up through the divisions. Since 2004 the teams have not faced each other competitively, with the regional cup game in 2004 currently being the last Gdańsk derby between the two teams. A Gedania and Lechia game has never resulted in a draw with Lechia winning 9 and Gedania winning 3 of the 12 competitive games they have played in.
Lechia vs Stoczniowiec
Lechia and Stoczniowiec did not play each other until 1967 after Lechia were relegated to the third tier, after which the two teams faced each other in 15 of the next 16 seasons, with the longest spell coming during 10 consecutive seasons of the teams playing in the same division. During this time the Lechia vs Stoczniowiec rivalry was at its highest. In contrast to Lechia and Gedania never drawing, Lechia and Stoczniowiec drew a third of their games against each other. Lechia and Stoczniowiec have not played each other competitively since 1983, a period of time when Lechia saw success winning back to back promotions, getting back to the Ekstraklasa, and winning the Polish Cup while in the third tier, and the Polish SuperCup while also playing in European competitions the following season in the second tier.
Despite the two teams not playing since 1983 their paths did cross again in 1998 when the two teams merged creating Lechia-Polonia Gdańsk. Due to this merger Stoczniowiec dropped down to the fifth tier for the following season, with Lechia having to restart in the sixth tier in 2001 after it was evident that the merger team was dropping down the leagues after successive relegation's. While Lechia are now back in the top division Stoczniowiec have never recovered from their pre-merger times when they were competitive in the second and third tiers.
Gedania vs Stoczniowiec
After their first meeting in 1952 the two teams started to go in different directions. With Gedania being one of the biggest teams in Gdańsk during the years after their formation, the team started to slip down into the lower divisions, in contrast Stoczniowiec often found themselves moving between the second and third divisions. It wasn't until Stoczniowiec had to restart in the lower divisions did the two teams met regularly. From 2001-2011 the teams met 14 times in the league, with Gedania often edging out the games winning five to Stoczniowiec two. The two teams have not met competitively since 2011.
Big three clubs head-to-head
Comparison of Gedania, Lechia and Stoczniowiec GedaniaLechiaStoczniowiecYear of establishment1945The current Gedania Gdańsk was founded in 1945. The team that came before it, Gedania Danzig, which Gedania Gdańsk reformed after WWII was established in 192219451945Highest league finish7th in II liga (1951)3rd in Ekstraklasa (1956, 2019)3rd in II liga (1977)Highest Polish Cup finish1/32 finals (1969)Winners (1983, 2019)1/2 finals (1976)Number of seasons in the Ekstraklasa0290Ekstraklasa debut-20 March 1949-Number of seasons in the second tier23520Second tier debut195119461952Division for the 2019/20 seasonIV liga PomeraniaEkstraklasaLiga okręgowa Gdańsk I
All-time results (the historic big three) Gedania vs Lechia
Games: 12, Gedania wins: 3, Lechia wins: 9, Draws: 0 Gedania goals: 21, Lechia goals: 43
No. Date Home team Score Away team League123 September 1945Lechia Gdańsk7–2Gedania GdańskQualifiers for A Class214 October 1945Gedania Gdańsk2–4Lechia Gdańsk316 May 1946Gedania Gdańsk3–0Lechia GdańskA Class Championships417 November 1946Gedania Gdańsk4–2Lechia Gdańsk56 June 1948Gedania Gdańsk1c5Lechia Gdańsk613 June 1948Gedania Gdańsk2–7Lechia Gdańsk725 April 1949Lechia Gdańsk2–1Gedania Gdańsk820 May 1951Lechia Gdańsk2–1Gedania Gdańsk924 June 1951Gedania Gdańsk0–4Lechia Gdańsk1011 October 2003Lechia Gdańsk2–1Gedania GdańskIV liga - grupa pomorska1119 May 2004Gedania Gdańsk4–3Lechia GdańskCup127 June 2004Lechia Gdańsk3–0Gedania Gdańsk-
Lechia vs Stoczniowiec
Games: 31, Lechia wins: 12, Stoczniowiec wins: 7, Draws: 12 Lechia goals: 32, Stoczniowiec goals: 19
No. Date Home team Score Away team League120 August 1967Lechia Gdańsk1–2Stoczniowiec GdańskIII liga231 March 1968Stoczniowiec Gdańsk1–3Lechia Gdańsk31 September 1968Stoczniowiec Gdańsk1–0Lechia Gdańsk413 April 1969Lechia Gdańsk0–0Stoczniowiec Gdańsk57 September 1969Stoczniowiec Gdańsk0–0Lechia Gdańsk619 April 1970Lechia Gdańsk1–1Stoczniowiec Gdańsk729 August 1970Stoczniowiec Gdańsk0–0Lechia Gdańsk818 April 1971Lechia Gdańsk3–2Stoczniowiec Gdańsk922 August 1971Lechia Gdańsk0–1Stoczniowiec GdańskII liga109 April 1972Stoczniowiec Gdańsk0–1Lechia Gdańsk1110 October 1973Stoczniowiec Gdańsk0–1Lechia Gdańsk1224 March 1974Lechia Gdańsk0–0Stoczniowiec Gdańsk1325 August 1974Stoczniowiec Gdańsk3–1Lechia Gdańsk1423 March 1975Lechia Gdańsk0–1Stoczniowiec Gdańsk152 November 1975Stoczniowiec Gdańsk0–1Lechia Gdańsk1615 May 1976Lechia Gdańsk2–0Stoczniowiec Gdańsk1723 October 1976Stoczniowiec Gdańsk0–0Lechia Gdańsk1828 May 1977Lechia Gdańsk1–0Stoczniowiec Gdańsk1917 September 1977Stoczniowiec Gdańsk1–2Lechia Gdańsk2023 April 1978Lechia Gdańsk2–0Stoczniowiec Gdańsk2120 August 1978Lechia Gdańsk3–0Stoczniowiec Gdańsk2214 April 1979Stoczniowiec Gdańsk1–0Lechia Gdańsk236 October 1979Lechia Gdańsk2–1Stoczniowiec Gdańsk243 May 1980Stoczniowiec Gdańsk1–1Lechia Gdańsk2513 September 1980Stoczniowiec Gdańsk0–0Lechia Gdańsk264 April 1981Lechia Gdańsk1–2Stoczniowiec Gdańsk275 September 1981Lechia Gdańsk0–0Stoczniowiec Gdańsk283 April 1982Stoczniowiec Gdańsk0–0Lechia Gdańsk2919 September 1982Lechia Gdańsk1–1Stoczniowiec GdańskIII liga307 May 1983Stoczniowiec Gdańsk0–2Lechia GdańskCup117 June 1976Lechia Gdańsk0–0Stoczniowiec Gdańsk-
Gedania vs Stoczniowiec
Games: 20, Gedania wins: 6, Stoczniowiec wins: 5, Draws: 9Gedania goals: 27, Stoczniowiec goals: 24
No. Date Home team Score Away team League11952Stoczniowiec Gdańsk4–2Gedania GdańskII liga21952Gedania Gdańsk6–1Stoczniowiec Gdańsk31981/82Gedania Gdańsk0–0Stoczniowiec GdańskIV liga - (pomeranian group)41981/82Stoczniowiec Gdańsk3–2Gedania Gdańsk51999/2000Gedania Gdańsk0–2Stoczniowiec Gdańsk61999/2000Stoczniowiec Gdańsk1–1Gedania Gdańsk711 August 2001Stoczniowiec Gdańsk1–1Gedania Gdańsk816 March 2002Gedania Gdańsk1–0Stoczniowiec Gdańsk920 August 2005Stoczniowiec Gdańsk0–0Gedania GdańskDistrict Class (Group Gdańsk I) 101 April 2006Gedania Gdańsk1–1Stoczniowiec Gdańsk1119 August 2006Gedania Gdańsk0–2Stoczniowiec Gdańsk1231 March 2007Stoczniowiec Gdańsk2–2Gedania Gdańsk1310 November 2007Stoczniowiec Gdańsk2–1Gedania Gdańsk1431 May 2008Gedania Gdańsk1–0Stoczniowiec Gdańsk1520 September 2008Stoczniowiec Gdańsk1–1Gedania Gdańsk162 May 2009Gedania Gdańsk0–0Stoczniowiec Gdańsk1726 September 2009Gedania Gdańsk2–1Stoczniowiec Gdańsk188 May 2010Stoczniowiec Gdańsk3–3Gedania Gdańsk1921 August 2010Stoczniowiec Gdańsk0–1Gedania Gdańsk2019 March 2011Gedania Gdańsk2–1Stoczniowiec Gdańsk
All time results (other teams) This is a list of games involving the smaller teams of Gdańsk. There is a high possibility that these lists are incomplete, mainly due to the poor record keeping of games in the 1940s and 1950s in the lower leagues at the time, and the difficulty of retrieving information online. All games involving Lechia Gdańsk are known due to the clubs record keeping throughout the years and the ease of accessibility of these results.
The clubs are listed in date order of the first fixture between the two teams.
Lechia vs WKS 16 Dywizji
Games:3, Lechia wins: 3, WKS 16 Dywizji wins: 0, Draws: 0 Lechia goals: 27, WKS 16 Dywizji goals: 4