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SEASON 1 EPISODE 5

The Australian Con Man Who Changed Canadian Soccer

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In this episode, Rune digs into the tale of Con Jones. Born Thomas Shortell, a Sydney bookie who fleeced a hundred punters on Melbourne Cup day in 1903, fled the country one step ahead of a mob, and washed up in Vancouver with a bag of stolen cash and zero history in football. Twenty-five years later he died wealthy, respected, and in a Soccer Hall of Fame. Rune talks to former ABC journalist, Trevor Thompson about how an absolute scoundrel ended up cementing the spiritual birthplace of Canadian football, and why nobody back home remembers his name.


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By Rune Pedersen

Source: SBS



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In this episode, Rune digs into the tale of Con Jones. Born Thomas Shortell, a Sydney bookie who fleeced a hundred punters on Melbourne Cup day in 1903, fled the country one step ahead of a mob, and washed up in Vancouver with a bag of stolen cash and zero history in football. Twenty-five years later he died wealthy, respected, and in a Soccer Hall of Fame. Rune talks to former ABC journalist, Trevor Thompson about how an absolute scoundrel ended up cementing the spiritual birthplace of Canadian football, and why nobody back home remembers his name.


He left Australia as a criminal fugitive. He's now in the Hall of Fame in another country.
Trevor Thompson
Credits
Host: Rune Pedersen
Producers: Rune Pedersen at Onomato People, Stefan Delatovic
Writers: Rune Pedersen and Stefan Delatovic
Artwork: Wendy Tang
Post production and sound design: Dom Evans and James Coster at EARSAY
SBS Audio team: Joel Supple, Max Gosford, Bernadette Phương Nam Nguyễn, Phil Soliman
Guests/voices: Journalist & Football History Writer, Trevor Thompson

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