World football’s governing body Fifa is investigating whether an Oxfordshire brewery has breached its trademark.

It has instructed its legal team to investigate Hook Norton Brewery’s limited edition Striker summer ale, because the label mentioned the ‘Fifa World Cup 2010’.

The organisation has trademarked various phrases containing World Cup, Fifa and South Africa 2010.

Promotional material showed a picture of a footballer and the words ‘Hook Norton – where progress is measured in pints’. Underneath it said ‘Striker – brewed to celebrate the Fifa World Cup 2010, supporting England.’ The second sentence has now disappeared from the brewery’s website and the bars of its pubs.

Managing director James Clarke said the brewery had never imagined it would be a problem and had only wanted to support the England team in South Africa.

He said: “In showing our support for England we were not aware of infringing any trademark, but we have removed all reference to it off our pumps and promotional material.”

He added: “We will donate any profit made from sales to a charity, such as the Football Benevolent Fund, or a charity of Fifa’s choice.”

A spokesman for Fifa’s headquarters in Switzerland said its legal team was dealing with the issue.