Big Con: Australia's Unknown Soccer Pioneer

By Trevor Thompson

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.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1923236318
• ISBN13: 9781923236318
• Release Date: September 2025
• Publisher: Fair Play Publishing
• Length: 108 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 5.5" x 8.5"