Oxford United, a relatively obscure club in England’s third tier, found itself at the center of a controversy after publishing images of a new clothing line bearing the words “United 93” — the name associated with one of the passenger planes hijacked in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The club’s original intention was to mark its founding in 1893 through the wording printed on the clothing. However, Oxford United later acknowledged that the chosen combination created a direct association with United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania after being hijacked during the attacks in the United States.
(Photo: Oxford United official website)
The club issued an apology and said the clothing line, called Campus Clothing, had been removed from sale immediately. Oxford United said the items had been released “without understanding of the historical context and associations” connected to the wording.
“It should not have reached the point of sale and we take full responsibility for not undertaking proper due diligence,” the club said. “We have removed the collection with immediate effect and are reviewing our approval processes to ensure nothing like this happens again. Once again, we would like to put on record our sincere apologies for this error and for any offence caused.”
United Airlines Flight 93 was one of four passenger planes hijacked on Sept. 11, 2001. The aircraft crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, killing all 44 people on board. It is believed the hijackers intended to target the U.S. Capitol in Washington. In 2006, the film “United 93,” a docudrama about the events surrounding the flight, was released.
The Sept. 11 attacks were carried out by 19 al-Qaida members who hijacked four passenger planes. Two were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York, another struck the Pentagon near Washington and the fourth crashed in Pennsylvania. A total of 2,977 people were killed in the attacks and tens of thousands more were injured.