By Trevor Thompson

Big Con—Australia's Unknown Soccer Pioneer

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He fled a scandal. He built a sporting empire. He left behind a legacy—largely forgotten in his homeland.

Con Jones—born Thomas Shortel—was a bookmaker, a fugitive, a family man, and a genius sports promoter who reshaped Canadian soccer and lacrosse in the early 20th century. Leaving Sydney in disgrace after a Melbourne Cup betting scandal, he arrived in Vancouver and reinvented himself as a sporting visionary. Jones introduced professional soccer to British Columbia, built a stadium, and helped forge North America’s first international football links. He was bold, brash, and endlessly ambitious.

Big Con is a gripping tale of reinvention, scandal, and sporting revolution. It’s a vivid portrait of a forgotten trailblazer who played a major role in shaping modern sport—and got away with it.

A compelling read for sports lovers, historians, and anyone fascinated by the messy intersection of ambition, identity, and redemption.

More Information

  • Format: Paperback
  • Published: September 2025
  • ISBN:  978-1-923236-31-8
  • ISBN: 978-1-923236-32-5 (ePub)
  • Weight: 0.3kg
  • Size:  216x140mm
  • Pages: 106 plus 8 pages of images
  • Imprint: Fair Play Publishing

About the Author

Trevor Thompson has been a journalist for 40 years, working mainly in radio but also in television and online. He was Chief of Staff in the ABC's Sydney newsroom for more than ten years. He has also written four books on football history and enjoys recruiting and training young reporters.

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$29.99
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