2017 European Cup and Tournament Trophy

Glasgow 19-27 August 2017

Scotland was represented at the 2017 European Cup in Glasgow by three international teams (Over 60, Over 65 and Over 70) and a Tournament Trophy Over 60 team. There were three venues: Glasgow National Hockey Centre (2 pitches), Clydesdale and Millerston, but none of the Scotland teams played at Millerston.

Scotland Senior Grand Masters were the best placed side in the 2015 European Cup in London, coming home with bronze, while Scotland Grand Masters finished fourth after going down to Spain in their 3rd/4th final. Scotland Great Grand Masters did not compete in London, while the Tournament Trophy Team, playing as Scottish Thistles, had more ground to make up. With home advantage all were looking for medals.

Unfortunately, the medals eluded all the teams, though Scotland Grand Masters lost only one match and were two minutes away from qualifying for the semi finals when Germany scored an equaliser to put them through instead. The best placed teams were Scotland Grand Masters and Scotland Senior Grand Masters, both of which ended in fifth place in their respective competitions. Scotland LX (Scottish Thistles) finished in sixth place in the Grand Masters Tournament Trophy, the same position they achieved in 2015. After losing a penalty shoot out against Belgium following a draw in their cross over tie, Scotland Grand Masters beat Wales in their final match to end in seventh place, a position which was a very poor reward for a team which generally played very well.

Scotland European Cup Results

The full European Cup schedule was revised on 2 August 2017. The schedule and results for the Scotland teams is shown below.

Aug

GM

Time score

Pitch

GGM

Time/ score

Pitch

SGM

Time/ score

Pitch

TT GM

Time/ score

Pitch

19

ITA

7-1

GNHC1

IRE

2-1

CLYD3

NED

1-3

GNHC1

ENGW

0-6

GNHC1

20

WAL

3-3

CLYD3

ENG

0-4

CLYD3

GERR

2-0

CLYD3

21

ENGR

0-6

GNHC2

22

GER

0-5

CLYD3

23

NED

0-4

GNHC1

NED

0-8

GNHC1

ENG

0-5

GNHC1

24

GER

1-1

GNHC1

GER

1-4

CLYD3

WDRA

2-2 (2-1 pens)

GNHC1

25

BEL

2-2 (1-2 pens)

GNHC2

BEL

2-0

CLYD3

BEL

1-0

GNHC1

26

WAL

5-2

CLYD3

WAL

1-2

CLYD3

NEDT

0-4

GNHC2

27

WAL

0-4

GNHC1

Scotland Grand Masters (Over 60)

The ten team Grand Masters competition was split into two pools. Pool A contained Belgium, England, France, Ireland and Spain and Pool B included Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Scotland and Wales. Depending on their position in the pool, Scotland will play:

• 1st or 2nd: Semi Finals on Saturday 26 August and Final or 3rd/4th place Final on Sunday 27 August
• 3rd or 4th: cross over ties on Friday 25 August and play off for final positions on Saturday 26 August
• 5th play off for places 9 and 10 on Friday 25 August

Scotland Grand Masters made a great start with an emphatic 7-1 win against Italy in their opening match. Wales proved stiffer opposition on the second day, the match ending level at 3-3 after Scotland three times pegged back a Welsh lead, Arthur Robertson scoring the third equaliser with only three minutes left. Scotland held Netherlands for the first half in their third match but came adrift in the second half to suffer their first loss, 4-0. With only a point separating three teams contesting second place, a win for Scotland against Germany in their final pool match would have been enough to earn them a place in the semi finals; they were looking good for that place until, with only two minutes left on the clock, Germany scored an equaliser from a penalty corner to make the score 1-1 and to condemn Scotland to third place in Pool B. They played Belgium on Friday 25 August and had to claw back a 2-0 Belgian lead to draw the match 2-2, with a penalty shoot out to follow. Disappointingly, Belgium won the penalty shoot out 2-1 and played Spain, winners of the other play-off, for fifth place, while Scotland played Wales, the losers, for seventh place in their final match on Saturday 26 August. They won that 5-2 to give them seventh place in the tournament.

fixtures, results and reports

Scotland Great Grand Masters (Over 65)

The Great Grand Masters competition involved seven teams playing in a round robin: England, Ireland, Netherlands, Scotland, Wales, Belgium and Germany.

On the first day of the tournament, goals for Jim Chisholm in the first quarter and Peter Robertson in the second gave Scotland a two goal lead which they kept until the 50th minute when John Keppel scored for Ireland to cast a little doubt on the victory, The Scots held out to finish 2-1 winners. England proved too strong in the second match, beating Scotland 4-0, and a very strong Netherlands put eight past them in their third match. Germany, another of the sides vying for the medals, won 4-1 in the fifth match, making it impossible for Scotland to win gold or silver, but with an outside chance of bronze depending on results elsewhere. Scotland did their chances no harm by winning their fifth match 2-0 against Belgium on Friday 25 August, leaving them in fifth place, a point behind Wales. A win against Wales on Sunday 27 August would guarantee them fourth place, but to reach the bronze medal position they would require England to lose both their remaining fixtures. In the event, England had already sealed up third place by beating Ireland on the previous day, and Scotland lost to Wales to drop to fifth in the Great Grand Masters European Cup.

fixtures, results and reports

Scotland Senior Grand Masters (Over 70)

The six teams in the Senior Grand Masters competition played in a round robin: Belgium, England, Germany, Netherlands, Scotland and Wales.

Holders Netherlands were too strong and skilful for Scotland in the first match of the tournament. A goal from Ian Downie was not enough to counter three goals for the Dutch, who also missed two penalties. Against the side they had beaten to claim bronze in 2015, Scotland were outfoxed by Germany, who won 5-0 to dent the Scottish hopes of another medal. England were frustrated in the third match, managing only a penalty corner goal until the final quarter, when the Scottish resistance crumbled and they ran in another four to finish 5-0 winners. Scotland could still finish in fourth place with wins in their final two matches, against Belgium and Wales, and they made a good start by beating Belgium 1-0 early on Friday 25 August to move into fourth place. A win against Wales in their final match would guarantee fourth but even a draw could have been be good enough as Belgium's last match is against the unbeaten Netherlands side. Unfortunately, Wales won the match 2-1, leaving Scotland in fifth place in the tournament.

fixtures, results and reports

Scotland LX (Scottish Thistles) Over 60

This tournament is in two pools. Scotland LX are in Pool J with England LX White, England LX Red and Team Germany Red. Pool K comprises Alliance, Welsh Dragons, Netherlands TT and Southern Cross.

The teams finishing first and second in the pools will play in the 1-4 play offs on Friday 25 August and the finals on Sunday 27 August. and the teams finishing third and fourth in the 5-8 play offs on Thursday 24 August, and the 5/6 or 7/8 play off on Saturday 26 August.

England LX White ran out comfortable 6-0 winners in the first match of the tournament on Saturday 19 August but two goals byTim Lorimer saw off Team Germany Red on the following morning. Another England LX team (Red this time) and another 6-0 loss in the final pool match, though Thistles kept the English at bay for the whole of the first half which ended goalless. Their win against Team Germany Red assured them of third place in the group and they faced Welsh Dragons, the team finishing fourth in Pool K in the 5-8 semi final play offs on Thursday 24 August.The score at full time was 2-2 and Scotland LX won the penalty shoot out to decide which side would progress to the 5-6 final: a 2-1 win meant that they would play Netherlands TT on Saturday 26 August for fifth place. Unfortunately the Dutch side proved too strong, running out 4-0 winners, and Scotland LX finished sixth in the Grand Masters Tournament Trophy.

fixtures, results and reports

Scotland Squads

Murray Paton selected the following squads for the Scotland teams, following on from which the Scotland LX team (Scottish Thistles) was confirmed.