EFL club issues apology after mistake links kit to 9/11 attacks
Oxford United has apologized after accidentally including a reference to one of the planes hijacked on 9/11 on a new shirt. The club was celebrating its founding year, 1893, with a new ‘Campus Collection’ set to come out in September.
The shirt was supposed to launch around September 11, marking the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. However, it was postponed and then quickly removed after it was noticed that the back of the shirt said “United 93.” This was meant to show Oxford United and the year 1893, but it also reminded people of United Airlines Flight 93, one of the four planes hijacked during the tragic events of 9/11.
Flight 93 was the plane where passengers tried to stop the hijackers, and it crashed in Pennsylvania, sadly killing everyone onboard. The other three flights hit the Twin Towers in New York and the Pentagon near Washington DC. Every year, people remember this sad event, which took nearly 3,000 lives.
Oxford United didn’t mean to make any connection to Flight 93. The shirt was just meant to celebrate the club’s start as an amateur team called Headington. The new collection was shared ahead of the planned September launch but was pulled once the issue came to light.
The club said sorry online: “Oxford United sincerely apologizes for the launch of the Campus Collection. We didn’t realize the historical meaning behind the design. It shouldn’t have been sold and we take full responsibility for not checking carefully. We’ve removed the collection right away and will improve our processes to avoid this happening again. We’re truly sorry for the mistake and any hurt it caused.”