I'd agree that most of them end up trolling and get kicked off, but I think there's more to it. By discouraging the ones who start talking football, and fighting with the others, it means we don't get many who want to talk football but get a good few who are on the wind-up - be it obvious, subtle or playing the long game. That leads to a zero tolerance from some BMers who attack anybody new straight away and perpetuate the situation. Add to that a loud minority of City fans who relish the opportunity to be exactly what they claim all 'pool fans are, and also claim to hate, and the and result is a shite thread.
No harm in ranting, relating stories of obnoxious red scouse people have had to endure, but when it then turns into another dozen pages of poor-mans RAWK the thread, and the forum, is worse for it.
I'm just saying give new posters a chance. If they turn out to be arseholes they will get hounded out by everyone here, and the mods do a decent job of sorting the wheat from the chaff.
Nice to hear you took up my suggestion of a second thread. Maybe we should start a petition? Or is that 'doing what we claim to hate' ;)