Celtic Football Club went to court yesterday to protect its multi-million pound international merchandising operation.

The club is concerned that Motherwell-based Dig Souvenirs is infringing its distinctive four-leaf clover club badge, which is registered as a trade mark, and that the public will be misled into believing that Dig's memorabilia is authorised by Celtic.

In a petition presented to Lord Penrose at the Court of Session, Celtic explained that it had developed a substantial merchandising business selling a variety of goods including T-shirts, jackets, scarfs, hats, ties, accessories, bags, jewellery, pennants, banners, and flags.

The club said that the turnover for the merchandising business in the six months up to December 31 last year was #2,668,000.

Celtic uses as trade marks a number of logos and every item of the club's merchandise carries one or more of the logos.

In particular, they use the word Celtic with a four-leaf clover, the club badge which comprises a four-leaf clover in the centre of a circle and the phrase ''Hail, Hail''.

The club takes the view that the use of the club badge and the words ''Hail Hail'' in connection with merchandise indicates to the public that the goods come from, or are authorised, by Celtic.

Last month Celtic were advised that an application had been lodged by Dig Souvenirs, of Hamilton Road, Motherwell, to register as a trade mark three marks comprising the words ''Hail Hail'', or ''Hail, Hail, the Celts are here'' and a device comprising a four-leaf clover inside a circle with the words ''Hail, Hail the Celts are here'' round the circumference.

Dig applied to register the trade mark for items such as pennants, banners, flags, scarfs, hats, anoraks, tracksuits, shirts, jerseys, football boots, gloves, ties, and club badges.

Celtic hired a private investigator who was informed by a Dig director that they supplied scarfs, pennants, badges and hats with logos and trade marks to street traders who operated outside football grounds throughout Scotland.

The director told the private investigator that he was too busy fulfilling back orders to supply sample products and literature.

Lord Penrose granted an interim interdict banning Dig from selling or offering for sale goods incorporating the design of a four-leaf clover inside a circle similar to or capable of causing confusion with Celtic's club badge. He also interdicted Dig from passing off its merchandise as Celtic's and in particular from manufacturing, selling or supplying any merchandise carrying the the words ''Hail Hail'', ''Hail Hail the Celts are here'' and a four-leaf clover design inside a circle.

Dig was not represented at the hearing.

Dig Souvenirs could not be contacted for comment yesterday.