Oxford apologise after launching ‘United 93’ clothing collection on 9/11 anniversary

Published 1w ago · Updated 1w ago

AI summary51s readNegative

Oxford United pulled a sportswear line and apologised after inadvertently printing 'United 93' on apparel released near the 9/11 anniversary.

English football club Oxford United has apologised and withdrawn a new line of American-style sportswear after its branding accidentally referenced the September 11 terrorist attacks. The 'Campus Collection' featured the slogan 'United 93', which was intended to mark the club's founding year of 1893. However, the design drew swift criticism for sharing the name and call sign of United Airlines Flight 93, prompting the League One team to pull the items from its website within two hours of launch.

The merchandise range was intended as American-style sportswear to mark Oxford United's founding year of 1893.
The club removed the entire clothing line from its online shop two hours after its official release.
Oxford United issued a formal statement apologising for any offence caused by the unintentional connection to the 9/11 flight.

By the numbers

2hours before range was pulled from website

Why it matters

Oxford United was originally founded in 1893 as Headington United before adopting its current name in 1960. Football clubs regularly launch lifestyle clothing lines to generate commercial revenue, but marketing errors referencing historical tragedies routinely trigger severe reputational fallout.

What outlets agree on

Oxford United launched a sportswear collection featuring the text 'United 93', withdrew it two hours later, and issued an apology for causing offence.

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In this story

Oxford UnitedSeptember 11 attacksLeague One

Covered by 4 outlets

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