Football membership apologises for United 93 shirt advert as folks fume over 9/11 reference
Oxford United have apologised and pulled a new US-style “Campus Collection” after backlash over “United 93” branding, which critics linked to United Airlines Flight 93
Football club apologises for United 93 shirt advert(Image: OXFORD UNITED)
A football club has apologised after publishing photos of a new American-inspired clothing range featuring the words “United 93” – the call sign of a plane hijacked on 9/11.
Oxford United’s US-style “Campus Collection” was supposed to make reference to the club’s founding year of 1893 and included an American football jersey and a baseball-style top, both branded with “United 93” on the back.
But the launch was met with anger online after fans and commentators highlighted it was very similar to the call sign of United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers overpowered hijackers, , killing all 44 people on board.
Memorial stands 10 March 2002, at a site overlooking the field where United Airlines flight 93 crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, on 11 September, 2001(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Many described the branding as “tone deaf” and “shocking”, particularly as it was released just a week after the 25th anniversary of the terror attacks attacks.
Club officials “sincerely apologised” for the error, admitted they failed to recognise the wider historical association and said the Campus Clothing range had been withdrawn.
A statement read: “The range was released without understanding of the historical context and associations. It should not have reached the point of sale and we take full responsibility for not undertaking proper due diligence.
LeRoy Homer Jr, was the First Officer of United Airlines Flight 93, which was hijacked as part of the September 11 attacks in 2001(Image: Wikipedia)
“We have removed the collection with immediate effect and are reviewing our approval processes to ensure nothing like this happens again. Once again, we would like to put on record our sincere apologies for this error and any offence caused.”
The 9/11 attacks saw 19 Al Qaeda members hijack four commercial passenger planes in the US. Two were flown in the Twin Towers in Downtown Manhattan, causing them to collapse. Another plane struck the Pentagon in Washington, DC.
United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. It was the only one of the hijacked planes to not reach its intended target, believed to be the US Capitol Building, also in Washington. A docudrama film titled United 93 was made about the tragedy and released in 2006.
A Still from United93, a film telling the story of United Flight 93 (Image: Universal Pictures)
Opinion was mixed among Oxford fans. Many were outraged but others inclined to forgive the error. One wrote on a fans forum that it was “monumental cock-up that I would expect to be sacked for if I’d signed off on it”.
Another wrote: “Whilst not ideal … everyone who sees this realises there’s no malicious intent. Ultimately there was just no consideration to it at all.”
Oxford United currently sit sixth in League One, having won three of their opening five games, drawn one and lost one.
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