England and Wales’ draw on the opening day of Group A was
hailed as a great result for the Welsh but it leaves both teams needing a big
final push after they lost in the second round of games.
With a single Olympic qualifying spot on offer in Antwerp,
missing out on the semi-finals would mark the start of a worrying wait for the
European teams.
Great Britain, represented here by its individual members
England Wales and Scotland, does not even get a guaranteed place in Tokyo next
year, despite being the reigning Olympic champions.
England’s defeat to World Champs and hosts Belgium means
they need a win against Spain to stand a chance of a semi-final place, one that
would be in jeopardy if Wales sprung a win on Belgium, who have already
qualified.
The situation in Pool B is similar, with Ireland knowing that they stand a great chance of making the semi-finals if they can cause an upset against Germany. Scotland need to get a big win over the Netherlands and hope that goal difference might allow them to sneak through at the expense of Germany and Ireland.
The bottom two teams from each group will play in Pool C, with the bottom two sides from that pool being relegated to EuroHockey Championships II.
BBC SportCopyright: BBC Sport
BBC SportCopyright: BBC Sport
What are the EuroHockey Championships?
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Ireland lost to Austria in the 2017 semi-finalsImage caption: Ireland lost to Austria in the 2017 semi-finals
The EuroHockey Championships take place every two years with men's and women's tournaments which involve the eight best teams from around the continent.
This year’s contest is being held in Antwerp, Belgium and the men's edition includes England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland as they aim not only to win the coveted title but also to secure automatic qualification for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
While the champions will be on their way to Japan, the bottom two teams will suffer relegation to the EuroHockey Championship II, and will be replaced by the top two teams from that tournament for the 2021 edition.
England are the only one of the home nations to have won the men's tournament, doing so in the Netherlands in 2009, but Ireland finished third in 2015, beating England 4-2 in the third-place playoff. Wales and Scotland both earned promotion from EuroHockey II in 2017. Germany are the most successful side in EuroHockey history, with eight men's titles since the competition began in 1970.
The eight teams are divided into two pools of four, who will compete in a round robin before the top two teams from each group advance to the semi-finals. The bottom two teams in each group will drop into Pool C, where they will play off to avoid relegation.
The England team
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Ashley Jackson during the 2016 OlympicsImage caption: Ashley Jackson during the 2016 Olympics
England have named five players who have never been involved in the EuroHockey Championships before, including Surbiton’s 19-year-old Zach Wallace.
The youthful look of the side will be offset by the return of the experienced Ashley Jackson, who hasn’t played in a major tournament for England since the Rio Olympics in 2016.
Danny Kerry’s men will be looking to reach at least the semi-finals of the contest for the sixth consecutive time.
The BBC will have live coverage of all of the home nations’ matches in both the men’s and women’s competitions, as well as the semi-finals and finals.
All of the matches will be available to watch on the BBC Sport website and app as well via the BBC iPlayer, where you can also watch the matches back on catch-up.
Click here for the full schedule for both the men’s and women’s matches – below is the list of England men’s matches you can watch on the BBC.
Tuesday 20 August
12:20-14:00 – Spain v England, BBC Sport website and app & Connected TV
Thursday 22 August
16:50-18:30 - 1st Pool A v 2nd Pool B, BBC Sport website and app & Connected TV
19:20-21:00 - 1st Pool B v 2nd Pool A, BBC Sport website and app & Connected TV
Saturday 24 August
16:50-18:30 - Men's third-place playoff, BBC Sport website and app & Connected TV
19:20-21:00 - Men's Final, BBC Sport website and app & Connected TV
How to get into hockey
Get Inspired
#GetInspired
Video content
Video caption: Emma Watson gets back to hockeyEmma Watson gets back to hockey
Hockey is in some ways like football. It's an 11 a-side team game, where the aim is to score a goal in the opposing team's net.
There are different variations of the game, so hockey is for everyone, regardless of age, ability or gender. There's also a real social side, with a culture of team bonding off the field.
Play Hockey is a good place to start for those who are new to the game or interested in coming back to it after years away. Simply type in your postcode to locate your nearest club.
Live Reporting
All times stated are UK
BBC SportCopyright: BBC Sport 
BBC SportCopyright: BBC Sport 
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images Ireland lost to Austria in the 2017 semi-finalsImage caption: Ireland lost to Austria in the 2017 semi-finals 
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images Ashley Jackson during the 2016 OlympicsImage caption: Ashley Jackson during the 2016 Olympics 
Video caption: Emma Watson gets back to hockeyEmma Watson gets back to hockey
Latest PostHome nations all need a win
England and Wales’ draw on the opening day of Group A was hailed as a great result for the Welsh but it leaves both teams needing a big final push after they lost in the second round of games.
With a single Olympic qualifying spot on offer in Antwerp, missing out on the semi-finals would mark the start of a worrying wait for the European teams.
Great Britain, represented here by its individual members England Wales and Scotland, does not even get a guaranteed place in Tokyo next year, despite being the reigning Olympic champions.
England’s defeat to World Champs and hosts Belgium means they need a win against Spain to stand a chance of a semi-final place, one that would be in jeopardy if Wales sprung a win on Belgium, who have already qualified.
The situation in Pool B is similar, with Ireland knowing that they stand a great chance of making the semi-finals if they can cause an upset against Germany. Scotland need to get a big win over the Netherlands and hope that goal difference might allow them to sneak through at the expense of Germany and Ireland.
The bottom two teams from each group will play in Pool C, with the bottom two sides from that pool being relegated to EuroHockey Championships II.
What are the EuroHockey Championships?
The EuroHockey Championships take place every two years with men's and women's tournaments which involve the eight best teams from around the continent.
This year’s contest is being held in Antwerp, Belgium and the men's edition includes England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland as they aim not only to win the coveted title but also to secure automatic qualification for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
While the champions will be on their way to Japan, the bottom two teams will suffer relegation to the EuroHockey Championship II, and will be replaced by the top two teams from that tournament for the 2021 edition.
England are the only one of the home nations to have won the men's tournament, doing so in the Netherlands in 2009, but Ireland finished third in 2015, beating England 4-2 in the third-place playoff. Wales and Scotland both earned promotion from EuroHockey II in 2017. Germany are the most successful side in EuroHockey history, with eight men's titles since the competition began in 1970.
The eight teams are divided into two pools of four, who will compete in a round robin before the top two teams from each group advance to the semi-finals. The bottom two teams in each group will drop into Pool C, where they will play off to avoid relegation.
The England team
England have named five players who have never been involved in the EuroHockey Championships before, including Surbiton’s 19-year-old Zach Wallace.
The youthful look of the side will be offset by the return of the experienced Ashley Jackson, who hasn’t played in a major tournament for England since the Rio Olympics in 2016.
Danny Kerry’s men will be looking to reach at least the semi-finals of the contest for the sixth consecutive time.
Read more and see the full squad here.
EuroHockey Championships on the BBC
All times are BST and subject to change.
The BBC will have live coverage of all of the home nations’ matches in both the men’s and women’s competitions, as well as the semi-finals and finals.
All of the matches will be available to watch on the BBC Sport website and app as well via the BBC iPlayer, where you can also watch the matches back on catch-up.
Click here for the full schedule for both the men’s and women’s matches – below is the list of England men’s matches you can watch on the BBC.
Tuesday 20 August
12:20-14:00 – Spain v England, BBC Sport website and app & Connected TV
Thursday 22 August
16:50-18:30 - 1st Pool A v 2nd Pool B, BBC Sport website and app & Connected TV
19:20-21:00 - 1st Pool B v 2nd Pool A, BBC Sport website and app & Connected TV
Saturday 24 August
16:50-18:30 - Men's third-place playoff, BBC Sport website and app & Connected TV
19:20-21:00 - Men's Final, BBC Sport website and app & Connected TV
How to get into hockey
Get Inspired
#GetInspired
Video content
Hockey is in some ways like football. It's an 11 a-side team game, where the aim is to score a goal in the opposing team's net.
There are different variations of the game, so hockey is for everyone, regardless of age, ability or gender. There's also a real social side, with a culture of team bonding off the field.
Play Hockey is a good place to start for those who are new to the game or interested in coming back to it after years away. Simply type in your postcode to locate your nearest club.