Oxford United has officially apologized and withdrawn its new Campus Clothing range from sale following widespread criticism regarding a design error. The collection featured the phrase “United 93” on the back of garments, which coincides with the call sign of one of the four commercial planes hijacked during the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States.
The club explained that the design was intended as a reference to its founding year of 1893. However, officials admitted the apparel was released without a proper understanding of the historical associations linked to the flight. United Airlines Flight 93 was hijacked and subsequently crashed in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, resulting in the deaths of all 44 individuals on board. A 2006 docudrama film also shared the name of the ill-fated flight, further cementing the association in public memory.
In a formal statement, Oxford United expressed sincere regret, acknowledging that the items should never have reached the point of sale. “We take full responsibility for not undertaking proper due diligence,” the club noted. As part of their immediate response, the team has removed the entire collection from its retail channels and is currently reviewing internal approval processes to prevent similar errors in the future.
The 9/11 terrorist attacks involved 19 Al Qaeda operatives who hijacked four commercial planes. While two aircraft were flown into the World Trade Center in New York City, a third struck the Pentagon near Washington DC. The fourth, United 93, is believed to have been headed for the US Capitol Building before crashing in rural Pennsylvania. The tragedy resulted in 2,977 deaths and tens of thousands of injuries.
Oxford United, currently competing in League One—the third tier of the English football pyramid—traces its history back to an amateur club originally known as Headington. The club emphasized that the release of this clothing line was a grave oversight, and they are working to ensure their branding remains respectful of historical contexts moving forward. The report also notes that the attacks killed 2,977 people and injured tens of thousands more.
