Oxford United apologise and pull 'United 93' clothing range
Oxford United have apologised and withdrawn a new clothing range after publishing images with "United 93" printed on the back. The club said its Campus Clothing collection has been removed with immediate effect. It added that it "sincerely apologised" for the error, as reported by BBC.
The phrase carries a painful history. "United 93" was the call sign of one of the aircraft hijacked on 11 September 2001. United Airlines Flight 93 had left Newark for San Francisco that morning before it was seized. It crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, killing all 44 people on board, as reported by BBC.
The wider attacks that day in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania killed 2,977 people. That is why the wording drew attention as soon as the images appeared. Even as small print on the back of a top, the association was immediate for many who saw it.
Oxford United said the design was supposed to refer to 1893, the club's founding year. The "United 93" wording was intended as shorthand for that date. The club said it was released "without understanding of the historical context and associations". It said the range should not have reached the point of sale.
The club said it takes full responsibility for not undertaking proper due diligence, the checks that should catch a problem before a product goes public. It said it is now reviewing its approval processes to stop a repeat.
For supporters, this means a brief and unhappy episode rather than a lingering row. A historic date was shortened into something with a very different meaning. Once that was clear, the club pulled the range and owned the mistake.
