Oxford United are proud to unveil a limited-edition replica shirt, created in collaboration with the University of Oxford's Ashmolean Museum of Art & Archaeology to mark the opening of the museum’s major new exhibition, ‘In Bloom: How Plants Changed Our World'.
Celebrating the popularity of football, art, and culture in the city of Oxford, the shirt draws inspiration from ‘In Bloom’, which explores the stories behind some of Britain’s most beloved blooms.
The exhibition spotlights the hidden histories behind plants and flowers, uncovering tales of exploration, obsession, and knowledge. The shirt’s design features an interpretation of ‘Study of Wild Rose’ by John Ruskin, a Victorian writer, artist, and social reformer with strong links to Oxford. 'Study of Wild Rose' is part of the Ashmolean's collection and will be on display in the exhibition.
At the centre of the Macron-produced shirt, the Club’s iconic ox head sits above the mark of Principal Partner Baxi, and the reverse features the Ashmolean Museum logo, in recognition of this unique collaboration between Oxfordshire’s only professional football club and the UK’s first public Museum.
The campaign imagery and short film, shot in the University’s stunning Oxford Botanic Garden, capture the connection between sport, art, and storytelling, reinforcing Oxford United’s belief that the Club stands for so much more than just football.
Due to be worn by the Men’s First Team this summer, this is a limited-edition shirt produced in extremely low numbers – once it’s gone, it’s gone!
Editor’s Notes
The Ashmolean Museum
The Ashmolean Museum is the UK’s first public Museum, founded in 1683 and part of the University of Oxford. It houses internationally renowned collections of art and archaeology, from antiquities to the contemporary, spanning half a billion years of culture from around the world.
The museum is a place for learning and public engagement, bringing together research, teaching, and exhibitions that connect objects with ideas, history, and creativity. Today, the Ashmolean continues to play a central role in Oxford’s cultural life, offering free access to its permanent collections and special exhibitions.
‘In Bloom’ Exhibition
‘In Bloom: How Plants Changed Our World’ is a major new exhibition at the Ashmolean, running from 19 March to 16 August 2026. ‘In Bloom’ takes visitors from Oxford across the world and back, tracing the journeys that some of Britain’s most familiar blooms - including
roses, tulips, camelias and peonies - made to find their way into homes, gardens, and landscapes.
Featuring over 100 artworks and objects, including botanical paintings, rare prints, ceramics, and drawings, the exhibition explores the curiosity and ingenuity of early plant explorers, the networks that shaped global trade, and the lasting impact of plants on culture, science, and society.
To book tickets to the Exhibition, CLICK HERE…
For more information, CLICK HERE…
John Ruskin
John Ruskin (1819 - 1900) was a leading Victorian writer, artist, and social thinker, best known for his influence on art, design, and the way people understand nature and beauty.
Ruskin had a strong connection to Oxford, where he was appointed the first Slade Professor of Fine Art in 1869. He believed that learning to draw and observe nature closely was essential to understanding art and the world around us.
He donated a vast collection of drawings, paintings, manuscripts, and natural studies to the University of Oxford, which became the foundation of the Ruskin School of Art and the Ruskin Teaching Collection. These works were intended not as treasures to be locked away, but as teaching tools for students.
Among his many natural studies, Ruskin paid particular attention to plants and flowers. His detailed observations and drawings of the wild rose reflect his belief that careful study of nature could train the eye, sharpen moral understanding, and reveal deeper truths about beauty and life.
John Ruskin’s ‘Study of Wild Rose’ features prominently on this limited-edition shirt, with the image licensed by the Ashmolean Museum to mark a special collaboration between two Oxford institutions - the Football Club and the Museum.
