Almere Pioneers is a Dutch amateur basketball team based in Almere. The team plays in the Promotiedivisie, the Dutch second tier league.
History 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.
A year later, the club changed its name to Almere Pioneers and started playing in the second-tier amateur league Promotiedivisie. In 2013, Pioneers tried to make a comeback to the Eredivisie but failed due to a lack of budget. 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 Season TierLeagueNBB Cup 1998–99 1 DBL 10th1999–00 1 DBL 9th2000–01 1 DBL 5th2001–02 1 DBL5th2002–03 1 DBL 2nd2003–04 1 DBL6th–2004–05 1 DBL 11th2005–06 1 DBL7th2006–07 1 DBL 11th 2007– Lower divisions
Notable players
Ian Hanavan (2003–2004) Rogier Jansen (2005–2006) John Turek (2005–2006)
Head coaches NameNationalityTenure 2000 – 2003 2004 – 2008
References
External links Official website (Dutch) Eurobasket profile