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Big Con

Australia's Unknown Soccer Pioneer
  • ISBN-13: 9781923236318
  • Publisher: FAIR PLAY PUBLISHING
    Imprint: FAIR PLAY PUBLISHING
  • By Trevor Thompson
  • Price: AUD $32.99
  • Stock: 27 in stock
  • Availability: Order will be despatched as soon as possible.
  • Local release date: 02/09/2025
  • Format: Paperback (216.00mm X 140.00mm) 220 pages Weight: 200g
  • Categories: Ball games [WSJ]
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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.
Trevor Thompson has reported on football in Australia since the 1980s when he wrote and presented a documentary for Radio National on Australia's national football competitions. He covered the National Soccer League for ABC Radio's Grandstand program for over ten years and wrote a weekly review of A-League matches for ABC Online. Trevor has covered the World Youth Cup, and two World Cup finals tournaments. He has been a freelance contributor on football for BBC'S Radio Five Live, CBS Radio, and Radio New Zealand.Throughout his long career in journalism, in addition to sport, he has also been a specialist reporter on communications and industrial relations. Trevor served for more than ten years as Chief of Staff in the ABC's Sydney newsroom and has been heavily involved in the training of young journalists.
* Big Con tells the riveting true story of Con Jones—an Australian who shaped the course of Canadian soccer and sports promotion but remains virtually unknown in his homeland. This is the first full account of his life, from scandal in Sydney to sporting fame in Vancouver. * Set against the backdrop of soccer’s international rise, this book reveals how Jones forged transnational ties, introduced professionalism, and built a sports empire decades ahead of his time—complete with cross-border leagues, international tours, and bold new ideas. * With the narrative flair of a seasoned ABC journalist and previously published author, this meticulously researched biography combines investigative depth with compelling storytelling to bring one of sport’s most audacious figures back to life. Publicity: * Media Release AUS and OVERSEAS. Usual social media and e-newsletters.
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