Almere Pioneers is a Dutch amateur basketball team based in Almere. The team plays in the Promotiedivisie, the Dutch second tier league.[1]

Almere Pioneers
Almere Pioneers logo
LeaguesPromotiedivisie
Founded1999; 25 years ago (1999)
HistoryBC Omniworld Almere
1999–2009
Almere Pioneers
2009–present
ArenaTopsportcentrum
Capacity3,000
LocationAlmere, Netherlands
Team colorsOrange, Red, Purple
     
Websitealmerepioneers.nl

History

edit

The club was founded in 1999 as a professional basketball club named BC Omniworld Almere and participated in the top-tier Eredivisie. The team played its home games in the Topsportcentrum Almere. The 2002–03 season was the best season in Almere's history, as the team reached the Eredivisie finals. In these finals Omniworld lost 0–4 to Amsterdam. In January 2008, the team went bankrupt and was forced to leave the Eredivisie.[2]

A year later, the club changed its name to Almere Pioneers and started playing in the second-tier amateur league Promotiedivisie.[3] In 2013, Pioneers tried to make a comeback to the Eredivisie but failed due to a lack of budget.[4] In 2020, Almere Sailors was established by the Pioneers board. This separate professional club now plays at the highest level of Dutch basketball.

Season by season

edit
Season Tier League Pos. NBB Cup
BC Omniworld
1998–99 1 DBL 10th
1999–00 1 DBL 9th
2000–01 1 DBL 5th
2001–02 1 DBL 5th
2002–03 1 DBL 2nd
2003–04 1 DBL 6th
2004–05 1 DBL 11th
2005–06 1 DBL 7th
2006–07 1 DBL 11th
Almere Pioneers
2007– Lower divisions

Notable players

edit

Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed.

Criteria

To appear in this section a player must have either:

  • Set a club record or won an individual award while at the club
  • Played at least one official international match for their national team at any time
  • Played at least one official NBA match at any time.

Head coaches

edit
Name Nationality Tenure
Jan Willem Jansen   Netherlands 2000 – 2003
Marco van den Berg   Netherlands 2004 – 2008

References

edit
  1. ^ "Almere Pioneers". Eurobasket.com. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  2. ^ "Basketbalploeg van failliet Omniworld uit de competitie gezet". NRC (in Dutch). 2 January 2008. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  3. ^ "BC Omniworld gaat verder als Almere Pioneers". Omroepflevoland.nl. 16 May 2009.
  4. ^ "Almere Pioneers niet naar basketball eredivisie". Omroepflevoland.nl. 12 June 2013.
edit