Scotland and Wales both won promotion from EuroHockey Championships II in 2017 - but in the first top-tier campaign that either side have enjoyed for over a decade, they both find themselves on the brink of an immediate return.
Neither Scotland nor Wales won a group game, although both picked up creditable draws against Ireland and England respectively, and those results will be carried through to Pool C.
Their other games were less successful, however, with Scotland suffering heavy defeats to both Germany and the Netherlands while Wales went down to Spain and Belgium. Both sides will be looking for stronger performances in the relegation group in the hope that they can take another bite at the cherry in two years' time.
BBC SportCopyright: BBC Sport
What are the EuroHockey Championships?
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Ireland in the 2017 semi-finalsImage caption: Ireland 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.
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 remaining men’s matches you can watch on the BBC.
Thursday 22 August
12:20-14:00 - Scotland v Wales, Pool C, BBC Sport website and Connected TV
14:35-16:15 - England v Ireland, Pool C, BBC Sport website and Connected TV
16:50-18:30 - Netherlands v Spain, semi-final, BBC Sport website and Connected TV
19:20-21:00 - Belgium v Germany, semi-final, BBC Sport website and Connected TV
Saturday 24 August
12:20-14:00 - England v Scotland, Pool C, BBC Sport website and Connected TV
14:40-16:30 - Ireland v Wales, Pool C, BBC Sport website and Connected TV
16:50-18:30 - Third-place playoff, BBC Sport website and Connected TV
19:20-21:00 - Men's final, BBC Sport website and Connected TV
How to get into hockey
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 
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images Ireland in the 2017 semi-finalsImage caption: Ireland in the 2017 semi-finals Video caption: Emma Watson gets back to hockeyEmma Watson gets back to hockey
Latest PostThe battle to avoid immediate relegation
Scotland and Wales both won promotion from EuroHockey Championships II in 2017 - but in the first top-tier campaign that either side have enjoyed for over a decade, they both find themselves on the brink of an immediate return.
Neither Scotland nor Wales won a group game, although both picked up creditable draws against Ireland and England respectively, and those results will be carried through to Pool C.
Their other games were less successful, however, with Scotland suffering heavy defeats to both Germany and the Netherlands while Wales went down to Spain and Belgium. Both sides will be looking for stronger performances in the relegation group in the hope that they can take another bite at the cherry in two years' time.
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.
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 remaining men’s matches you can watch on the BBC.
Thursday 22 August
12:20-14:00 - Scotland v Wales, Pool C, BBC Sport website and Connected TV
14:35-16:15 - England v Ireland, Pool C, BBC Sport website and Connected TV
16:50-18:30 - Netherlands v Spain, semi-final, BBC Sport website and Connected TV
19:20-21:00 - Belgium v Germany, semi-final, BBC Sport website and Connected TV
Saturday 24 August
12:20-14:00 - England v Scotland, Pool C, BBC Sport website and Connected TV
14:40-16:30 - Ireland v Wales, Pool C, BBC Sport website and Connected TV
16:50-18:30 - Third-place playoff, BBC Sport website and Connected TV
19:20-21:00 - Men's final, BBC Sport website and Connected TV
How to get into hockey
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.