Football club apologises for United 93 shirt advert
Oxford United football club apologized and withdrew a new clothing line featuring "United 93" after realizing it was the call sign of a 9/11 hijacked plane, not just a reference to their 1893 founding year. The club admitted a lack of due diligence and is reviewing its approval processes to prevent future errors.
Why it matters
This incident highlights the critical importance of cultural sensitivity and thorough vetting in marketing and product development, especially when dealing with potentially sensitive historical references, to avoid public backlash and reputational damage.
Image source, Oxford United Image caption, Oxford United's new clothing range has been withdrawn from sale
A football club has apologised after it published images of a new clothing line with "United 93" printed on the back - the call sign of one of the aircraft hijacked on 9/11.
The clothing was supposed to make reference to Oxford United's founding year of 1893.
However, it said it had been released "without understanding of the historical context and associations".
United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, killing all 44 people on board after being hijacked on 11 September 2001. A docudrama film titled United 93 was made about the tragedy and released in 2006.
Oxford United was founded in 1893 as an amateur club called Headington and now plays in League One - the third tier of the English football pyramid.
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