{"product_id":"big-con-trevor-thompson-9781923236318","title":"Big Con: Australia's Unknown Soccer Pioneer","description":"\u003cp\u003eHe fled a scandal. He built a sporting empire. He left behind a legacy-largely forgotten in his homeland.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCon 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBig 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA compelling read for sports lovers, historians, and anyone fascinated by the messy intersection of ambition, identity, and redemption.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Trevor Thompson\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1923236318\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781923236318\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Fair Play Publishing\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 09\/02\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 108\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.30lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.50h x 5.50w x 0.22d","brand":"Trevor Thompson","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48520086487295,"sku":"9781923236318","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_7c227b4c-8591-4bba-939a-0480f27fc57c.jpg?v=1778740659","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/big-con-trevor-thompson-9781923236318","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}