| Irish League Cup | |
| Other Titles: | Wilkinson Sword League Cup |
| Year: | 1996–97 |
| Num Teams: | 32 |
| Defending Champions: | Portadown |
| Winners: | Crusaders (1st win) |
| Second: | Glentoran |
| Matches: | 31 |
| Goals: | 122 |
| Prev Season: | 1995–96 |
| Next Season: | 1997–98 |
The 1996–97 Irish League Cup (known as the Wilkinson Sword League Cup for sponsorship reasons) was the 11th edition of the Irish League Cup, Northern Ireland's secondary football knockout cup competition. It concluded on 15 October 1996 with the final.
Portadown unsuccessfully defended its 1996 title in the semifinals to Glentoran. Glentoran unsuccessfully defend its pursuit of a title in the final against the Crusaders, 1–0.[1] [2]
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