Now feelings appear to have cooled a little, perhaps I am allowed the right to reply. This is going to be a long one since there were an number of points raised. I look at it from this point of view: Suppose that I am asked to photograph the staff at my place of work. My colleagues, in all truth, are from a diversity of countries and ethnic backgrounds. I decide to position my colleagues according to their skin colour be it black (yes I can use the word) or white, or whatever. If a colleague was to ask me why I was doing it in that particular way do you think I could justify it on the grounds of some of the arguments that we have seen here? Lets see, that could be ... it''s OK to do so because: 1. It makes for a more aesthetically pleasing image to have you arranged (symmetrically) according to your skin colour. I note that three other posters made mention of the symmetrical arrangement of the players, something that I did not do. 2. I have no life, or I need therapy. (I''ll keep away from the personal stuff - hopefully that will encourage others to do likewise - I do not feel that I have the right to judge any of you based upon what little I read of your lives.) 3. Your arguments are nothing more than PC rubbish. 4. It''s OK providing that there are just as many men and women, white shirts/ yellow shirts in the photograph, and that any arguments relating to skin colour are insignificant because these facts are obviously more relevant than the one you are trying to raise. (True! There is an absence of women in the photograph but that''s probably mainly down to FIFA. There is nothing like the old political tactic of avoiding the issue when trying to justify one''s argument. It ensures that the question that was raised doesn''t have to be answered one way or the other.) I don''t seem to remember the UK having laws relating to discrimination on the grounds of shirt colour or height, or have things really changed that much. ("Nanny State" and all that.) If I used these arguments as a basis for my action how long do you think I would be in a job? Those of you who are confident in your assertions that there is no problem might like to take a sample of opinions at your work place (can I suggest a sample size greater than 2?). Run the same scenario by them. Offer to take a group photo and then arrange them according to skin colour so that you get a "nice" photograph, one that is "pleasing on the eye". If you have courage in your convictions, I am sure that you will have no problem telling your colleagues what you are doing, why you are doing it and justifying it by using any or all of the arguments that have been posted as to why it is OK to do so. May I stress that I have no evidence that this is something that anybody who was taking/taking part in the photo was necessarily aware of, neither was I accusing named individual or organisation of racism. I was simply raising a question as to whether anybody here was also aware of it, whether it should be of any concern to us, the club or anybody involved in the taking of these photographs. I would hope that if we were to see a friend doing something that we or others may find unacceptable that we would make some sort of intervention. My one regret is that perhaps I was indiscrete enough to do so on a public forum. For that I apologise. As for time studying this stuff. Well how long does it take to look at a picture? I first noticed it two seasons ago (02-03). While sorting through some old stuff, I stumbled across both the team photos for 92-93 and 95-96 (I think) and I noticed it there too. Sure enough, the squad photos from 03-04 and 04-05 also have used the same "aesthetic" idea. Humans are naturals at spotting patterns, and are more aware of those patterns once they are recognised. It''s a bit like the optical illusions that can be one thing or another. As to whe
