Oxford United apologises over United 93 clothing range

Oxford United has withdrawn a new clothing range and apologised after shirts in the collection appeared with “United 93” on them, a phrase associated with the aircraft hijacked during the September 11 attacks.

The League One football club said the wording was meant to refer to its founding year, 1893, but acknowledged the range had gone on sale “without understanding of the historical context and associations.” The club removed the Campus Collection from sale and said it was reviewing how such products are approved.

“It should not have reached the point of sale and we take full responsibility for not undertaking proper due diligence,” Oxford United said in a statement. “We have removed the collection with immediate effect and are reviewing our approval processes to ensure nothing like this happens again.”

The club added: “Once again, we would like to put on record our sincere apologies for this error and any offence caused.”

The Guardian reported that the “Campus Collection,” described as being “inspired by the style and culture of American sports,” was launched online on Friday morning and had been removed by lunchtime. The outlet reported the collection was live for about two hours before the club deleted the web page.

Images from the range showed models wearing an NFL-style shirt carrying the words “United 93,” according to The Guardian. The BBC reported that the wording appeared on the back of clothing in the new line.

The Guardian also reported that Oxford United had originally trailed the collection for launch on September 11 this year, the 25th anniversary of the attacks, but delayed it after concerns over sensitivity.

United Airlines Flight 93 was one of four commercial passenger planes hijacked by Al Qaeda members on September 11, 2001. It crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, killing all 44 people on board. A docudrama film titled “United 93” was released in 2006.

The BBC reported that Flight 93 was believed to have been headed for the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. The Guardian reported that a passenger mutiny prevented the hijackers from using the plane to destroy a government building in Washington, and that it ultimately crashed into a field.

The September 11 attacks killed 2,977 people and injured tens of thousands more. Two hijacked planes were flown into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York, causing both towers to collapse. Another plane struck the Pentagon near Washington.

Oxford United was founded in 1893 as an amateur club called Headington and now plays in League One, the third tier of English football.

Reaction among supporters was mixed, The Guardian reported. One user on the Yellows Forum called the release a “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.”