12 thematic clues with an associated definition and an extra thematic word. The remainder are normal. As preambles go quite long but straight forward.
It took me a while to get the theme but once cracked it all fell into place quite quickly. Some very easy clues but also some real convoluted ones especially the thematic ones.
The theme was all football club nicknames with the definition being to the nickname and the wordplay to the team, which comprised the entry.
The superfluous words being: Woodwork; strips; whistle; boot; post; attack; team; injury; suspension; coach; forward; corner
Thanks Maranga – I did like 41ac.
Key:
* anagram
DD Double definition
Re. reverse
Underline Definition – for thematic clues to the team
Red text – Superfluous words in thematic clues
Across
1 Sibling takes sheep for exercises (6)
Sis (sibling) around TUP = SIT-UPS
5 Can god begin to help corrupt gentleman? (7)
Stir (can) + Ra (God) + h (begin to help) = STIRRAH
10 Drink before party? Leave quickly (7, two words)
Tea (drink) + rout (party) = TEAR OUT
11 Money targets disabilities for the elderly (5)
M (money) + aims (targets) = MAIMS
13 Australian custard pie finally burning (6)
A (Australian) + flam(custard) + e (pie finally) = AFLAME
14 Unlock old prison completely (6, two words)
O(old) + pen (prison) + up (completely) = OPEN UP
15 Legal restrictions in yobs hanging around disused land (11)
Ging (yobs) around old (disused) + plat ( land) = GOLD-PLATING
17 Woodwork teacher rebuilt old pirates’ crates (6)
Don (teacher) + (crates)* = DONCASTER = ROVERS
20 Shoot topless star (6)
Stellar( star) – s = TELLAR
21 Second unit – sound unit? (4)
S (second) + one (unit) = SONE
23 Friends exposed deity (3)
Mates (friends) – ms = ATE
25 Grows less muscle taking a supplement (6)
Ab (muscle) + a + TES (supplement) = ABATES
26 Dig up some yokel to order around (6)
Rev, hidden yokEL TO ORder = ROOTLE
29 Veteran stops entertainer falling short (3)
Host (entertainer) – t = HOS
31 Employed American journalist (4)
Us (American) + Ed (journalist) = USED
32 Fit urchin on vacation runs into shed (6)
Un (urchin on vacation?) + R(runs) in hut (shed) = UNHURT
33 King strips from terribly harmful cricketing gear (6)
(harmful – r)* = FULHAM = WHITES
35 Lady’s cat is put in danger by husband’s shooting equipment (11)
Her (lady’s) + mog (cat) in trap (danger) + h (husband) = THERMOGRAPH
38 Unexpectedly Elsa and I twice make contact (6)
(Elsa + I + i)* = LIAISE
40 Eccentric at sea rowed around island (6)
(rowed + i)* = WEIRDO
41 Without identity/alone (5)
/ is a solidus – id (identity) = SOLUS
42 Satan’s instrument (7)
DD SERPENT
43 Most mean dissent to be out of order (7)
(dissent)* = SNIDEST
44 Tries writing (6)
DD ESSAYS
Down
1 Island’s hunters’ dogs’ whistle (5)
Man’s (Island’s) + filed (dogs) = MANSFIELD = STAGS
2 Great score’s not unknown (4)
Tally (score) – y (unknown) = TALL
3 General part of computer printer: boot hardware to start (6)
Port (part of computer) + SMOUT (printer) + h (hardware to start) = PORTSMOUTH = POMPEY
4 Apply for University in the Home Counties (3)
SE (home counties) around u (university) = SUE
5 Point to a portico (4)
S (point) + to + a = STOA
6 TV comedy family to fasten post securely (8)
Bolt on (fasten securely) = BOLTON = TROTTERS
7 Warriors left without hints? The opposite! (6)
Implies (hints) – l (left) = IMPIES
8 Call permits shock display? (8)
Ring (call) + lets (permits) = RINGLETS
9 Tiny measurement from Samuel (3)
Hidden sAMUel = AMU
12 Too enthusiastically, in sustained attack inexpert boxer kicks out (5)
Ten (sustainbed) around OTT (Too enthusiastically) + ham (inexpert boxer) = TOTTENHAM = SPURS
16 RSPCA birds team tussles with alley cat (6)
(RSPCA alley cat)* = CRYSTAL PALACE = EAGLES
17 Red Army Officer fliers nurse thigh injury (6)
Che (red) + lt (army officcer) + en (nurse) + ham (thigh) = CHELTENHAM = ROBINS
18 Examines ex-servicemen (4)
DD VETS
19 Road, once uneven, is level (5)
St (Road) + row (once uneven) = STROW
22 Plan hit a troubled tribe (8)
(plan hit a)* = NAPTHTALI
23 More than one large plant has ruined car suspension (8, two words)
(has)* + ford (car) = ASHFORD = ASH TREES
24 Relish disease (4)
DD GOUT
27 Fools question a coach taken in by Irish thief (5)
Qu(question) + a in tory (Irish thief) = TORQUAY = GULLS
28 Insist on English drink (6)
Press (Insist) + e (English) = PRESSE
30 Formidable opponents forward loveless greeting (6)
Hullo (greeting) – o = HULL = TIGERS
34 Fly, exhausted, turns corner (5)
Alder (fly) + shot (exhausted) = ALDERSHOT = SHOTS
36 Steam cored rotten fruit (4)
(steam – e)* = MAST
37 Sunken space in Arabian river (4)
Ar (Arabian) + ea (river) = AREA
39 Animal’s lost its head – it’s charged! (3)
Lion (animal) – l = ION
40 Small and stale (3)
DD WEE (See stale(2) in Chambers)
I wasn’t keen on this one. The novel thematic clues were very tricky to unlock. Plus I don’t like football. Two EVs by this setter, both with football-related themes. The clues were a very strange bunch indeed. Either so simple they were write-ins, or so difficult they were impossible. What happened to having a balanced level of difficulty? Lots of really good EVs this year. This wasn’t one of them.
I don’t see the S.Tel every week and, even when I do, do not always have the energy to persist with EV – so have not got the range of reference to agree or disagree with Brian W. It was simply a pleasure to start on this one and find it the right level of accessibility and challenge to persevere with.
33ac FULHAM was the first football club to click, and because it had 6 letters, like the space for entry, I quite illogically imagined that the other 11 thematic clues wre going to work like that, which held me up for a time. Even for a solver who does follow football a bit, googling was necessary to find such obscure name/team combinations as Ash Trees/ASHFORD and Robins/CHELTENHAM (which incidentally should go in capitals at 17ac). Thank you to Maranga, and to twencelas.
sorry, meant to write 17d for CHELTENHAM, not 17ac, in @2
Thanks Quenbarrow – have updated the blog