1997–98 Irish League Cup

Wilkinson Sword League Cup
Tournament details
Country	Northern Ireland
Teams	32
Defending champions	Crusaders
Final positions
Champions	Linfield (4th win)
Runner-up	Glentoran
Tournament statistics
Matches played	31
Goals scored	120 (3.87 per match)
←  1996–97 1998–99 →

The 1997–98 Irish League Cup (known as the Wilkinson Sword League Cup for sponsorship reasons) was the 12th edition of the Irish League Cup, Northern Ireland's secondary football knock-out cup competition. It concluded on 9 September 1997 with the final.

Crusaders were the defending champions after their first League Cup win last season; a 1–0 victory over Glentoran in the previous final. This season they went out in the quarter-finals to eventual winners Linfield, who lifted their fourth League Cup with a 1–0 victory over arch-rivals Glentoran in the final, condemning the Glens to their second successive League Cup final defeat. ^{[1] [2]}

This was the last competition to feature clubs from the Irish League B Division. From the following season onwards, the competition would only be open to senior clubs in the top two divisions.

First round

¹ Larne were disqualified for fielding an ineligible player. Cookstown United were reinstated.

Second round

Quarter-finals

Semi-finals

Final

9 September 1997

Linfield	1 – 0	Glentoran
Spiers 45'	Report

Windsor Park, Belfast

References