THE BOOK launch of a Newport war veteran and Auschwitz survivor's story has been rearranged for an event next week.

The Auschwitz Goalkeeper is the true story of prisoner of war Ron Jones of Bassaleg, Newport, who has chosen to speak out after 70 years.

After being enlisted in the army, Mr Jones was captured by German troops in North Africa, before being taken to what is now Poland. He was at Auschwitz from October 1943 to January 1945.

The book, published by Gomer Press, which was previously due to be launched in October, is having its official launch at Newport's British Legion Club, Queen Street, next Wednesday evening. [20th]

In Auschwitz, Mr Jones worked at the IG Farben chemical factory in a synthetic petrol plant, but on his one day off a week he would play football.The experiences of the notorious death camp may have been made bearable by his love of football, but still to come was the march across Europe, from Poland to the Austrian border, as the SS retreated before the advancing Russians. Mr Jones is one of only three men still alive from the march.

Last month, Mr Jones went to Poland and revisited Auschwitz for a piece for the BBC’s The One Show.

At 96-years-old, he still sells poppies for the Royal British Legion every year, gives talks in local schools about his experience and even works part-time with an estate agent.

Mr Jones has been a Newport County fan almost all his life. Speaking to The Argus earlier this year, he said: "The first time I went down there, my father took me on his bike in 1924, I was seven years old."

Co-author of the book, Joe Lovejoy, was chief football writer for the Sunday Times for 15 years, and at The Independent for eight years before that. He has had four books published, including Glory, Goals and Greed [the history of the Premier League], Ryan Giggs’ autobiography [ghosted] and Sven-Goran Eriksson’s biography.