Oxford United have apologised after publishing images of a new clothing line that featured “United 93” on the back, the call sign of one of the aircraft hijacked on 9/11.
The club said the wording was intended to refer to its founding year of 1893. Instead, it was released “without understanding of the historical context and associations”, and Oxford United said its Campus Clothing range had been withdrawn.
In a statement, the club said it “sincerely apologised” for the error. “It should not have reached the point of sale and we take full responsibility for not undertaking proper due diligence,” it said. “We have removed the collection with immediate effect and are reviewing our approval processes to ensure nothing like this happens again.”
United Airlines Flight 93 was one of four commercial passenger planes hijacked on 11 September 2001. The aircraft crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, killing all 44 people on board. A docudrama film titled United 93 was released in 2006.
The 9/11 attacks were carried out by 19 Al Qaeda members who hijacked four planes. Two were flown into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, causing both to collapse. Another struck the Pentagon near Washington DC, while United 93 crashed in rural Pennsylvania. It was believed to have been destined for the US Capitol Building in Washington DC. The attacks killed 2,977 people and injured tens of thousands more.
Oxford United was founded in 1893 as an amateur club called Headington. The club now plays in League One, the third tier of the English football pyramid.