Oxford United apologises over United 93 clothing line
Oxford United football club has withdrawn its new Campus Clothing range after printing 'United 93' on items, unintentionally echoing the 9/11 hijacked flight.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Oxford United immediately withdrew its new Campus Clothing range from sale
- Garments featured 'United 93' on the back, echoing a 9/11 hijacked flight
- The club explained the number was meant to reference its 1893 founding year
- Executives accepted full responsibility for failing to conduct proper due diligence
Oxford United football club has issued a formal apology after releasing promotional images for a new clothing line featuring the words "United 93" printed on the back. The design inadvertently mirrored the call sign of United Airlines Flight 93, one of the commercial aircraft hijacked during the tragic 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001.
The League One English club clarified that the numbering was originally intended to honor the year 1893, which marked the club's establishment as an amateur team originally known as Headington. However, the club admitted that the collection was released without a proper understanding of the sensitive historical context and associations attached to those digits.
Photo by Andrew Neel / Unsplash
In response to the backlash, the club pulled the Campus Clothing collection from sale with immediate effect and expressed a sincere apology for the oversight. Management emphasized that the apparel should never have reached the point of sale and acknowledged full responsibility for failing to perform adequate due diligence before approval.
This incident highlights how creative teams and sports clubs can easily stumble into severe PR crises when failing to vet historical sensitivities. A seemingly innocent combination of numbers that coincides with a major global tragedy requires rigorous cross-departmental approval processes to prevent offensive associations from reaching consumers.
The September 11 attacks in 2001 involved 19 Al Qaeda operatives hijacking four commercial airliners across the United States. Two struck the World Trade Center towers in New York City, a third hit the Pentagon near Washington D.C., and United 93 crashed in a rural field in Pennsylvania, believed to be heading for the U.S. Capitol Building. The coordinated attacks claimed 2,977 lives and left tens of thousands injured.
"It should not have reached the point of sale and we take full responsibility for not undertaking proper due diligence."
Oxford United
Oxford United concluded by stating that the entire collection has been scrapped and internal approval procedures are currently under strict review to ensure such a severe mistake is never repeated.
Source: BBC Sport
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