Oxford United Pull ‘United 93’ Clothing Collection After Backlash
Oxford United have removed their new Campus Clothing collection from shops and their online store after criticism of garments carrying the wording “United 93”.
The design was meant to reference Oxford’s 1893 foundation year, but the phrase is also the name associated with United Airlines Flight 93, one of the four aircraft hijacked during the September 11 attacks in 2001.
Why the wording caused concern
- Several items in the range featured “United 93” prominently on the back.
- The wording was intended as a shortened nod to Oxford United and the club’s 1893 origins.
- It also matches the widely recognised identification of United Airlines Flight 93.
- Flight 93 crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, on September 11, 2001, after passengers and crew resisted the hijackers. All 44 people aboard died.
- The aircraft was believed to have been heading towards the US Capitol in Washington, DC, before crashing in rural Pennsylvania.
Historic association
Nineteen Al Qaeda hijackers seized four commercial aircraft during the 9/11 attacks. Two were flown into New York’s World Trade Center, while another struck the Pentagon near Washington.
Flight 93 became a lasting symbol of both tragedy and resistance because of the fightback by those on board. Its story was later dramatised in the 2006 film United 93.
What happens next
Oxford have taken the entire Campus Clothing range off sale and are expected to review their merchandise approval process. The withdrawal could leave the club carrying losses on unsold stock, but preventing further offence has been treated as the priority.
The episode is also likely to prompt closer checks across the EFL and wider game when clubs use abbreviated names and foundation-year references on casual clothing.
