Financial Times 16,291 by CRUX

Manageable Monday morning

Across

1 Second coach is behind the scenes (9)
BACKSTAGE
BACK (second) + STAGE (coach)

6 Apart from starter, cooking hailed as perfect (5)
IDEAL
([h]AILED)* (apart from starter, *cooking)

9 FA aim to break up such gangs (5)
MAFIA
(FA AIM)* (*to break up)

10 Extremely faint signal at sea (4,5)
VERY LIGHT
Double definition

11 What belongs to you, really, is . . . me! (5,5)
YOURS TRULY
YOURS (what belongs to you) TRULY (really)

12 Sponge conceals head of reef, a danger to shipping (4)
BERG
BEG (sponge) conceals R (head of reef)

14 Sign on back of last runner that fails to start! (7)
ENDORSE
END [h]ORSE (last runner, fails to start)

15 Decline to take one’s cue? (2,2,3)
GO TO POT
Double definition

17 Map or scheme car designer’s involved with (7)
PORSCHE
[ma]P OR SCHE[me] (involved with)

19 Help someone who’s taken in, we’re told (7)
SUCCOUR
Sounds like SUCKER (someone taken in, “we’re told”)

20 There’s danger in not starting fast (4)
RISK
[b]RISK (fast, not starting)

22 Leave me some books in the office (10)
DEPARTMENT
DEPART (leave) + ME + NT (some books)

25 What some players need on reaching forty? (6,3)
DOUBLE TOP
Cryptic definition: Darts term

26 Female singer should make a comeback (5)
KYLIE
Double definition (A Kylie is a boomerang)

27 Long, long story about Spain (5)
YEARN
YARN (long story) about E (Spain)

28 Jaguars eg might be caught in it (5,4)
RADAR TRAP
Cryptic definition

Down

1 Irregular pay for retaining a politician (5)
BUMPY
BUY (pay) for retaining MP (a politician)

2 Business collapse of Rolls or Royce, for example (2-7)
CO FOUNDER
CO (business) + FOUNDER (collapse)

3 Thrilled by celebrity, or attacked by one! (10)
STARSTRUCK
Double definition

4 Unfavourable jingle? (7)
ADVERSE
AD VERSE (jingle)

5 The Listener takes promo for sleep aid (7)
EARPLUG
EAR (the listener) takes PLUG (promo)

6 Indulge oddly in such gossip, maybe (4)
IDLE
I[n]D[u]L[g]E (oddly)

7 Bird-dog, not black (5)
EAGLE
[b]EAGLE (dog, not B (black))

8 To a girl it could be someone in a suit (9)
LITIGATOR
(TO A GIRL IT)* (*could be)

13 One who must count as a rustler? (10)
STOCKTAKER
STOCK TAKER (rustler)

14 May 24 be an old colonial celebration? (6,3)
EMPIRE DAY
Cryptic definition

16 English pupils sit in correct part of aircraft (9)
PROPELLER
E (English) + LL (pupils) sit in PROPER (correct)

18 I choose whether spades lead or not (7)
ELECTOR
(s)ELECTOR (whether or not S (spades) leads)

19 Endless rush made an impression (7)
STAMPED
STAMPED[e] (endless rush)

21 South Island’s contribution to marine exploration (5)
SCUBA
S (south) + CUBA (island)

23 Secure summit provides protection for EU (3,2)
TIE UP
TIP (summit) provides protection for EU

24 Spirit starts to ebb long after nightfall (4)
ELAN
E[bb] L[ong] A[fter] N[ightfall] (starts to)