Solving time: 35 minutes
I found this quite straightforward. There are two living person references. I had no problem with the singer but I had to take the soccer player on trust.
As usual definitions are underlined in bold italics, {deletions and substitutions are in curly brackets} and [anagrinds, containment, reversal and other indicators in square ones]. “Aural wordplay” is in quotation marks. I usually omit all reference to juxtaposition indicators unless there is a specific point that requires clarification.
 Across |
|
| 1 | Old, major player in financial services circles (4) |
| ORBS | |
| O (old), RBS (major player in financial services – Royal Bank of Scotland). I was planning to quibble about the definition here as to my mind a circle is a two-dimensional shape whereas an orb is a three-dimensional sphere or ball, however the first definition of orb in Chambers and SOED is ‘circle’ and Collins has it too although qualifying it as an archaism. | |
| 3 | Having more irregular spots, clothes rip when spun (10) |
| SPLOTCHIER | |
| Anagram [spun] of CLOTHES RIP | |
| 9 | Northern people touring edges of other county (7) |
| NORFOLK | |
| N (Northern) + FOLK (people) containing [touring] O{the}R [edges] | |
| 11 | Business in Spain with physics lab (7) |
| CONCERN | |
| CON (in Spain, with), CERN (physics lab). The European Organization for Nuclear Research in Geneva is known as CERN from the French: Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire | |
| 12 | By way of example, they make firm declaration (13) |
| PRONOUNCEMENT | |
| PRONOUN (by way of example, they), CEMENT (make firm) | |
| 14 | Subject of article about space (5) |
| THEME | |
| THE (definite article) containing [about] EM (space – in printing) | |
| 15 | Displaced individual denied right to provide further details (9) |
| EXPATIATE | |
| EXPAT{r}IATE (displaced individual) [denied right] | |
| 17 | Infamy? No politician accepts that is ultimately pleasant (9) |
| NOTORIETY | |
| NO, TORY (politician) contains [accepts] IE (that is) + {presen}T [ultimately] | |
| 19 | Some boats, eastbound away from the land (2,3) |
| AT SEA | |
| Hidden in [some] {bo}ATS EA{stbound} | |
| 21 | Self-assured novice fronted broadcast (13) |
| OVERCONFIDENT | |
| Anagram [broadcast] of NOVICE FRONTED | |
| 24 | Source of possible leak in party close to governor (7) |
| INSIDER | |
| IN, SIDE (party), {governo}R [close to…]. SOED has this as a person who is party to a secret and therefore possibly may leak it. | |
| 25 | Start to feel — with some bias — you should enjoy yourself here (7) |
| FUNFAIR | |
| F{eel} {start to…], UNFAIR (with some bias) | |
| 26 | Abrasive meeting of Premier League manager and directors? (5,5) |
| EMERY BOARD | |
| EMERY (Premier League manager – NHO), BOARD (directors) | |
| 27 | Boss requiring endless scrutiny (4) |
| STUD | |
| STUD{y} (scrutiny} [endless] | |
| Down |
|
| 1 | Being all-powerful, I’m open to changing books (10) |
| OMNIPOTENT | |
| Anagram [changing] of I’M OPEN TO, then NT (books of the New Testament) | |
| 2 | Fish included in simple product lines? (7) |
| BARCODE | |
| COD (fish) contained by [included in] BARE (simple). Neat definition! | |
| 4 | Resident of China reaching a high level with comfort, we’re told (9) |
| PEKINGESE | |
| Aural wordplay [we’re told]: “peaking” (reaching a high level), “ease” [comfort] | |
| 5 | Single housing around university is exactly as expected (2,3) |
| ON CUE | |
| ONE (single) containing [housing] C (around – circa) + U (university) | |
| 6 | Focusing cash primarily on helping to support change in America (13) |
| CONCENTRATION | |
| C{ash} [primarily], ON, CENT (change in America), RATION (helping) | |
| 7 | A mixture of leaves and rocks? (4,3) |
| ICED TEA | |
| Cryptic. Leaves = tea, rocks = ice. | |
| 8 | Hindu Queen led India (4) |
| RANI | |
| RAN (led), I (India – NATO alphabet) | |
| 10 | Eco-safe plastic refined in Australia exclusively (5-8) |
| OZONE-FRIENDLY | |
| Anagram [plastic] of REFINED contained by [in] OZ (Australia) + ONLY (exclusively) | |
| 13 | About to get streamed freely, as classic albums often are (10) |
| REMASTERED | |
| RE (about), anagram [freely] of STREAMED | |
| 16 | Suffering due to representing a team with no leader at the outset (6,3) |
| PAYING FOR | |
| P{l}AYING FOR (representing a team) [with no l{eader} at the outset] | |
| 18 | Child’s foot too small to fit inside restraint (7) |
| TOOTSIE | |
| TOO, then S (small) contained by [to fit inside] TIE (restraint) | |
| 20 | Rod possibly set out to cover two opposing points (7) |
| STEWART | |
| START (set out) containing [to cover] E + W (two opposing points of the compass) | |
| 22 | Hold items and run after vehicle (5) |
| CARGO | |
| CAR (vehicle), GO (run). Hold – a compartment in a ship or aircraft below the (lower) deck, where cargo is stored. | |
| 23 | Stop working around noon and have something to eat (4) |
| DINE | |
| DIE (stop working) containing [around] N (noon) | |
2 short after about 40 minutes (ORBS BARCODE).
Liked EMERY BOARD.
I’m with others in being doubtful about the new living-character rules, on the grounds that it’s not really necessary. STEWART could easily have been clued without any reference to our Rod, eg by some punning on the House of Stuart, or ‘Scot’s culinary skill?’ or some such. And EMERY should not have needed reference to an obscure sporting manager, nor to our Dick either.
28.09 ORBS wasn’t a problem, going straight in after 1d, but STEWART, STUD, BARCODE and TOOTSIE took ages at the end. BARCODE was nice. Much was unparsed, so thank you Jack.
14.32, but, in my defence, I was rather tired when I solved this one.
Also defeated by orbs/barcode crosser. Shrug for Stewart, absolutely NHO that Emery, biffed from y and board.
Tootsie not in my 1938 COED, but tootsy(wootsy) does appear for foot, indicated as ‘nursery’; I’d also always thought of it as toes. My grandad sometimes affectionately called nan ‘toots’.
Did ‘splotch’ bring Molesworth to anyone else’s mind?
COD pronoun cement
Thanks to setter and blogger.