Solving time, 16 mins
* = anagram < = reversed
ACROSS
1 ASBO Hidden reversal
3 WHITE HORSE This refers to the first FA Cup Final at the Old Wembley in 1923 (Bolton v West Ham) when overcrowding led to spectators encroaching onto the pitch – the kick-off was delayed but the pitch was eventually cleared with the aid of that policeman’s white horse which passed into legend. All Finals after that were all-ticket.
9 ET (AGE) RE ETRE = to be in French (forgive absence of accents)
11 ST UTTER utter = say
12 DEATH IN VENICE (evident in each)* well concealed anagram. 1971 film starring Dirk Bogarde based on a book by Thomas Mann
14 THORN Double definition Old English letter
15 COUR (GET) T E squash = marrow (vegetable)
17 SPIN-DRYER (Drips nearly)* less a l (line) line = clothes line in surface reading
19 SIT E S (first letters)
21 PERE GR I NATION further east = towards the end of the word (where east appears on maps)
24 COL LATE (et al)<
25 I (CEFA) LL (face)*
26 BAR GAINING
27 (Thomas) G RAY
DOWN
1 ANECDOTIST (doesn’t act I)*
2 BRA V ADO
4 HUE AND CRY (Handy cure)*
5 TA (S) TE First letter of Seurat
6 HOUSING ESTATE tEST AT Eton cryptically ‘housing’ ESTATE
7 RE TREAT
8 E (I) RE Ireland (in the Irish language)
10 ECHINODERMATA (A demonic hater)*
13 P (ER SON) ALLY
16 UK RAIN IAN
18 I’M PALER
20 THIN AIR Double definition
22 G (RE) EN Favourite clue, great surface reading
23 S CAB Last letter of buildings