FANS could soon be buying Oxford United toothpicks, pet clothing and even lingerie after the club registered its name as a trademark.

The move would prevent anyone else from selling hundreds of items of merchandise under the club’s name.

The U’s applied to register their name as a trademark earlier this week and everything from earmuffs to egg timers and corkscrews to caskets would be covered if they are successful.

United’s head of retail Peter Lee joined the club at the start of the season and said it was always the plan to protect the brand.

He said: “It was something we started looking at from the beginning of the season – with any organisation you have to protect your assets.

“From the start of next season we will be looking to improve what we offer at the club shop and we will hopefully be in League One.

“There’s a major opportunity there for the club in terms of retail – the good times are coming.”

He added that everything included in the application could eventually be sold as official club merchandise in the future.

Mr Lee also said a group was selling Oxford United merchandise at the Swansea City FA Cup game and the club was unable to stop them.

The 57-year-old said: “When you get successful, people start trying to bootleg you. This is not a massive club in terms of money and it’s all about making sure it all goes back into the club.”

Official club seller Sue Trafford agreed that the recent excitement around the club had led to outsiders selling U’s merchandise.

She said: “At the big games like Swansea there were people on the perimeter of the stadium selling ‘half and half’ scarves.

“We were made aware of this and at the next game the club sold their own which did very well.”

She added: “I think it’s a good move as all the money will go back into the club and not into someone else’s back pocket. Also last year we could barely sell anything but with the success this year I’m selling out of scarves and other items every game, it’s been brilliant.”

The club’s application includes more than just your everyday items, with salad bowls, flip-flops, balloons and piggy banks also mentioned.

Mrs Trafford, who has been selling programmes and other items for the club for seven years, welcomed the possibility of quirkier items.

She said: “People want something different. A lot of them have the scarves and the kit and are looking for something else.”

The club has recently progressed to the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy final at Wembley and they beat Premier League opposition Swansea City in the FA Cup.

More than 11,000 fans saw the U’s book their place at Wembley after overcoming Millwall, and a sell-out crowd watched them get knocked out of the FA Cup by Blackburn Rovers.

The trademark request was lodged with the Government’s intellectual property office last month, the start of a process which could take up to four months if there are no objections.

The registered trademark would last for 10 years and would prevent anyone else from selling items utilising the names Oxford United Football Club, Oxford United or OUFC.