Pedja Licina (34), from the capital Zagreb, bought the Saltire-emblazoned headgear on a trip to London last month. He wore it in on a night out with friends the day before Croatia’s recent Euro Championship clash with England.

But what started out as a fun evening turned into a nightmare for Pedja when two drunken hooligans set him upon.

“I was in the city centre with friends when we got talking to two English guys from London,” he recalls.
“We were enjoying each others company but then things started to go wrong when I got up to go to the toilet.
“Two other English guys approached me and took exception to my Scotland cap.
“One of the men pushed me and swore at me before smashing me in the face. I couldn’t believe what was happening.”

Pedja, a well-known scriptwriter, has had a soft spot for Scotland since the national team visited Zagreb in October 2000.
“I’m aware of the rivalry between Scotland and England but I didn’t think the hat would antagonise anyone,” he admits.
“I’m not sure why the guys got angry with me. Maybe they were looking for a fight or maybe it was just down to drink.”

As a result of the skirmish the men fell to the ground outside the pub. The Croatian riot police then arrested all three.
“At first we were taken to separate police stations. Then, four hours later, I was driven to the station the English guys were in.
“We sat together for five hours and then I started translating for them because the police didn’t speak any English.
“At 9 am the man who punched me offered me his hand and said ‘no hard feelings’. He admitted me he’d hit me because of my cap.
“An hour later he was released without charge but I was kept in the cell and charged.”

Pedja was taken to court later in the day and given a 15-day prison sentence which was suspended for one year.
“I was pretty angry,” he admits. “The judge placed me on a register of football hooligans.
“I have never been in a fight in my life never mind had a criminal record. But I’ve no regrets about wearing the cap.
“I don’t hate the guy for what he did and I have no problem with English people in general. He was just drunk and stupid.”

Kenny MacAskill, the SNP’s shadow Justice minister and self-confessed Tartan Army footsoldier, hopes the attack was more by accident than design.
“In the main England fans rose to the occasion at the World Cup and there’s been a big change in attitude towards them.
“But, regrettably, it seems Zagreb has taken them back to the bad old days of the Neanderthal skinhead element.
“The guys involved in this incident were doubtless looking for trouble and I wouldn’t look too far into the Scottish connection.
“Anything could have triggered it, be it a Saltire hat or a Dynamo Zagreb shirt.
“But this shows there’s a long way to go with the hard-core category that has latched on to the English national team.”

The Foreign Office praised the English fan’s behaviour in Croatia.
A spokesman said, “There were around 32 UK citizens detained, mainly for disturbing peace and order. Of those only a handful were charged.
“But in general terms, the English fans were excellent and my colleagues in Zagreb were happy with how the operation went.”