Oxford United apologise for launching ‘United 93’ clothing range around 9/11 anniversary
- ‘Campus Collection’ aimed to mark 1893 club founding - Range pulled from website two hours after launch Oxford United have abandoned a new range of American style-sportswear after it inadvertently referenced the tragedy of September 11. The League One club launched its new ‘Campus Collection’ on Friday morning and had removed it from sale by lunchtime, after clothing designs were revealed to bear the slogan ‘United 93’. The U’s immediately published an apology that admitted to a lack of understanding of “the historical context and associations” related to the branding and made “sincere apologies for this error and any offence caused.” Continue reading...
- ‘Campus Collection’ aimed to mark 1893 club founding
- Range pulled from website two hours after launch
“Inspired by the style and culture of American sports”, the Campus Collection was originally trailed for launch by the club on 11 September of this year, the 25th anniversary of the atrocity that killed nearly 3,000 people. Concerns over sensitivity saw the launch then delayed, but when the online collection was finally made available for sale on Friday, images showed models wearing an NFL-style shirt with ‘United 93’ on the chest, in recognition of Oxford being founded in 1893.
United 93 was one of four domestic passenger jets seized by Al-Qaida terrorists on 11 September, 2001. A mutiny by passengers prevented hijackers from using the plane to destroy a government building in Washington DC, and it ultimately crashed into a field, killing all 44 people on board. A film titled ‘United 93’ was also made about the tragedy.