OUT of the frying pan, into the fire. That's the only way to describe the outcome of the draw for the second round of the UEFA Cup in Geneva yesterday.

If those Rovers fans who made the trip to Bulgaria last week thought the atmosphere in Sofia was a bit tasty, then that's nothing compared to the welcoming party awaiting them at Celtic Park on October 31.

And no-one can expect to field more flak on the night than Graeme Souness himself who is hardly the most popular figure in the green and white half of Glasgow!

Souness knows all about the cauldron of hate awaiting him after his time as player and then manager of Rangers.

Throughout his career, the Rovers boss has never been one to hide when the bullets are flying -- just look at his signing of Mo Johnston if you need convincing otherwise.

He'll be fired up more than anyone for this one so I don't think Blackburn fans need to worry about him fielding an understrength team this time out because his pride simply wouldn't allow it.

No-one likes a good battle more than Souness because he's at his best when he has his back to the wall.

Remember his stint in charge of Galatasaray when he planted a flag in the centre circle of Fenerbahce's pitch -- who just happened to be their fiercest rivals -- after winning the Turkish Cup?

Gala fans still sell t-shirts outside their ground depicting the moment even to this day such was the stir that it created.

Rovers certainly couldn't have had a better dress-rehearsal for the Celtic tie than last week's game in Sofia.

In terms of hostility and intimidation, it made a Burnley-Blackburn derby look like a kickabout on the local 'rec'!

I've certainly never felt quite so uneasy watching a game of football as the people around me spent the entire 90 minutes hurling abuse -- and that was only the Bulgarian Press.

Seriously, though, if UEFA have anything about them then they'll come down on CSKA like a tonne of bricks for the disgraceful way some of their fans behaved.

If English fans had showered the officials with a hail of bottles like that, the relavant authorities would close the ground down without hesitation.

But hooliganism appears to be an accepted part of football on the continent at the moment and the likes of UEFA are just standing back and letting them get on with it.

The racist chants aimed at Andy Cole in particular have simply no place in the game and the strongest possible action needs to be taken to stamp it out.