Big Con: Australia’s Unknown Soccer Pioneer

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.

© 2025 Fair Play Publishing (Rafbók): 9781923236325

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Rafbók: 6 september 2025