1997–98 Football League Trophy
| Auto Windscreens Shield | |
|---|---|
| Tournament details | |
| Country | England Wales |
| Teams | 48 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Grimsby Town |
| Runners-up | AFC Bournemouth |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 49 |
The Football League Trophy 1997–98, known as the Auto Windscreens Shield 1997–98 for sponsorship reasons, was the 17th staging of the Football League Trophy, a knock-out competition for English football clubs in Second and Third Division. The winners were Grimsby Town and the runners-up were AFC Bournemouth.
The competition began on 6 December 1997 and ended with the final on 19 April 1998 at the Wembley Stadium.
In the first round, there were two sections: North and South. In the following rounds each section gradually eliminates teams in knock-out fashion until each has a winning finalist. At this point, the two winning finalists face each other in the combined final for the honour of the trophy.