Almere_Sailors
Almere Sailors
Dutch basketball club
Almere Sailors was a Dutch basketball club based in Almere. Established in 2020, the team played one season in the Dutch Basketball League (DBL), the highest level of basketball in the Netherlands. Home games are played in the Topsportcentrum Almere, which has a capacity of 3,000 people. A year later, the team left the league due to financial difficulties and filed for bankruptcy a few months later.[1]
| Almere Sailors | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Founded | 16 July 2020; 3 years ago (2020-07-16) | ||
| Dissolved | 13 October 2021; 2 years ago (2021-10-13) | ||
| History | Almere Sailors 2020–2021 | ||
| Arena | Topsportcentrum Almere | ||
| Capacity | 3,000 | ||
| Location | Almere, Netherlands | ||
| Main sponsor | Flevo Makelaars | ||
| President | Rinus Balvert | ||
| Head coach | Gregory Tjin-A-Koeng | ||
| Website | almeresailors | ||
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In July 2020, the Almere Pioneers announced their plans to enter the Dutch Basketball League (DBL). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, entry requirements for the league were eased.[2] Since its disappearance in the 2006–07 season, Almere had not played at the highest level. To separate its activities from the amateur club Pioneers, a new organisation was established. On 3 August, the name Almere Sailors was announced for the professional team.[3] The name was chosen as the city of Almere was created after reclaiming land from the sea.
On 13 August, the Sailors announced Eric Kropf as their first head coach.[4] On 27 August, the DBL announced the Sailors obtained a license for the 2020–21 season.[5] On 16 September, the Sailors signed their first player in Papito Hersisia.[6] The Sailors played their first ever DBL game on 3 October, losing 124–64 to power house Donar.[7] The season was suspended and later resumed behind closed doors because of the ongoing pandemic. On 21 January 2021, the Sailors won their first ever DBL game against Apollo Amsterdam, 74–64 after overtime.[8] Kropf was fired on 10 March 2021, assistant Gregory Tjin-A-Koeng was promoted to interim head coach.[9]
In the 2021–22 season, the Sailors applied to play in the BNXT League, in which the national leagues of Belgium and the Netherlands have been merged.[10] Tjin-a-Koeng remained as head coach.[11] On 12 August 2021, the club however announced it decided not to join the new season due to the lack of necessary financial means.[12]
A few months later, on 13 October 2021,[13] the Almere Sailors organisation was declared bankrupt.[1]
Last roster
The following was the Sailors roster that played in the 2020–21 Dutch Basketball League:
| Almere Sailors roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Updated: 11 December 2020 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationality not displayed.
Top scorers by season
The following players were the leading scorers for the Sailors in each DBL season:[14]
| Period | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020– | Erreà | Flevo Makelaars |
| Name | Nationality | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| Eric Kropf |  Netherlands | 13 August 2020 – 10 March 2021 |
| Gregory Tjin-A-Koeng | Netherlands | 10 March 2021 – 31 May 2021 |
- "Basketbalclub Sailors failliet, doorstart onwaarschijnlijk". www.omroepflevoland.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 29 October 2021.
- "Almere Pioneers maakt kans op profbasketbal". Omroepflevoland.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 28 August 2020.
- "Profbasketbalclub gaat Almere Sailors heten". Almeredezeweek.nl. 3 August 2020. Archived from the original on 9 December 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
- "Eric Kropf hoofdcoach Almere Sailors". Omroepflevoland.nl (in Dutch). 13 August 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
- "The Hague Royals en Almere Sailors gaan de DBL in" (in Dutch). Dutch Basketball League. 27 August 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
- "Almere Sailors verwelkomt Papito Hersisia" (in Dutch). Dutchbasketballleague.nl. 16 September 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
- "Almere Sailors dient bij debuut in eredivisie als kanonnenvoer voor basketballers Donar". Dagblad van het Noorden (in Dutch). 3 October 2020. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
- "Eerste winst voor Sailors in de Dutch Basketball League". Omroep Flevoland (in Dutch). 21 January 2021. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
- "Licenties BNXT League 2021-2022 toegekend". Basketball League (in Dutch). Retrieved 10 July 2021.
- "Almere Sailors verder met Tjin-a-Koeng". Basketball League (in Dutch). Retrieved 14 July 2021.
- "Almere Sailors geeft licentie BNXT-league terug". Basketball League (in Dutch). Retrieved 13 August 2021.
- "Faillissement Stichting Top Basketball Almere Sailors te Almere (F.16/21/233) - FaillissementsDossier.nl". www.faillissementsdossier.nl. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
- "Almere Sailors Stats - RealGM". basketball.realgm.com. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
- Official website (in Dutch)