News

Lockdown in Holland for Albion defender

George Cox has been stranded in Sittard by the coronavirus outbreak.

By Bruce Talbot • 18 March 2020

By Fortuna Sittard FC
George Cox in action for Fortuna Sittard.

It’s not just in the UK where football is under lockdown as Albion defender George Cox is discovering.

The 22-year-old has been on loan with Dutch club Fortuna Sittard this season, making 21 appearances in the Eredivisie, and scoring his first goal against PEC Zwolle in a 1-1 draw on 6th March.

But that turned out to be Fortuna’s last game for the foreseeable future. Dutch football, along with the major leagues throughout Europe, have shut down in response to the coronavirus pandemic and the club have told their players to stay at home.

On Monday, George was told he could return to the UK but after booking a Euro tunnel crossing the French borders were closed later that day and George, girlfriend Britney and their two dogs are stranded in south-east Holland, close to the Belgian and German borders.

He said, “It would have been nice to get home and helped look after the elder members of our family. My grandad Roy is in his 90s and in a care home in Brighton and my Mum can’t see him at the moment because of the restrictions.

By Paul Hazlewood
The Amex Stadium.

“There are a lot of nationalities in our squad and we were told we could go home at the start of the week. My dogs have to take a tablet and aren’t allowed to travel for 24 hours after taking it.

"But having booked the tunnel the French border was closed on Monday night and obviously we can’t fly back with the dogs and in any case most of the flights are cancelled now anyway.

“There’s a 6pm curfew in Holland at the moment and everything closes then, even places like McDonald’s. In Sittard we have a flat in the town centre and there are always fairs and markets on so it’s a busy place, but even they have been cancelled. There is a big woodland park nearby and we can go there with the dogs – they have never been walked so much!

“I went out and bought PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch so I’ve got things that will keep me occupied but, like every player, I’d much rather be training and playing. But I think we all have to accept that it’s going to be a while before things return to normal.”