This is another of Tramp’s excellent densely themed crosswords: the subject of this one, as he said on Twitter was the England vs Italy match that took place on the Saturday when the puzzle came out. As he says there, you’d need very little football knowledge to solve the puzzle – just 22 across perhaps being tough if you’ve never heard of the player.
Almost all of the clues have a clever reference to the match, or the football World Cup more generally, in their surface reading. This was good fun to solve, as well as being an impressive feat from the setter. My football knowledge is pretty superficial, but I’ve tried to explain any reference that might not be obvious below.
Across
7. Praise a storage medium with energy drink inside (8)
ACOLLADE
A followed by CD = “storage medium” + E = “energy” around COLA = “drink”
Definition: Praise
9. With following surprising score it’s out of our hands (6)
ESCROW
W = “With” after (SCORE)*
Definition: “it’s out of our hands”
10,24. Ultimately, England home before their postcards: relatives hide (8)
DEERSKIN
Final letters of “[englan]D [hom]E [befor]E [thei]R [postcard]S” + KIN = “relatives”
Definition: “hide”
11. Lost Stevie G in poor showing (10)
TELEVISING
(L STEVIE G IN)*. “Stevie G” is a reference to the England captain, Steven Gerrard
Definition: “showing”
12. It’s used to pull women in closed boozer (3,3)
TOW BAR
W = “women” in TO = “closed” (as in a door or window) + BAR = “boozer”
Definition: “It’s used to pull”
14. Repeats Italian scores around English (8)
ITERATES
IT = “Italian” + RATES = “scores” around E = “English”
Definition: “Repeats”
15. Playing with Pirlo as star (7)
POLARIS
(PIRLO AS)* – Andrea Pirlo was in the Italian line-up for the England match
Definition: “star”
17. Rather late to drop wingers — one can shoot (1,6)
A TRIFLE
[l]AT[e] = “late to drop wingers” + RIFLE = “one can shoot”
Definition: “Rather”, as in “that’s a trifle harsh” / “that’s rather harsh”, I suppose
20. Like mischievous conduct? Close to Manaus, training site is hot (8)
SCAMPISH
[manau]S = “Close to Manaus” + CAMP = “training site” + IS + H = “hot”. This refers to the Arena Da Amazônia stadium in Manaus, where the England vs Italy game was held – there have been many concerns about the high temperatures in Manaus.
Definition: “Like mischievous conduct?”
22. Get good 10? Italian legend (6)
BAGGIO
BAG = “Get” + G = “good” + IO = “10”.
Definition: “Italian legend”, referring to Roberto Baggio – this works very nicely, since Baggio’s jersey number was 10 for much of his playing career.
23. Concerned with the runs in one area, old Roy Hodgson initially worried (10)
DIARRHOEAL
(I AREA OLD RH)* – the I is from “one” and RH from “Roy Hodgson initially”. (Roy Hodgson is the England manager.)
Definition: “Concerned with the runs”
25. Do take off — Cole’s gutted (6)
FLEECE
FLEE = “take off” + C[ol]E = “Cole’s gutted”. (This refers to Ashley Cole not being selected for the England squad for the World Cup.)
Definition: “Do”, as in “to scam”
26. They get hot in sun chasing lead? (8)
ELEMENTS
S = “sun” after ELEMENT = “lead?”, the question mark indicating a definition by example here. (Again this refers to the difficult playing conditions for the England team in Brazil.)
Definition: “They get hot”, as in, for example, the element in a kettle
Down
1. City church to house master’s old image of Christ (4,4)
ECCE HOMO
EC = “City” (as in the postcode area of the City of London) + CE = “church” + HO = “house” + M = “master” + O = “old”
Definition: “image of Christ”
2. Film type of girl essentially turned on at the start (4)
NOIR
[g]IR[l] = “girl essentially” with NO = “turned on” at the start
Definition: “Film type”, referring to Film noir
3. Right to divide dodgy gear — stocking up with one? (6)
GARTER
RT = “Right” in (GEAR)*
Definition: “stocking up with one?”
4. Most agitated keeper conclusively struggles in goal (8)
NERVIEST
[keepe]R = “keeper conclusively” + VIES = “struggles” in NET = “goal”
Definition: “Most agitated”
5. Sport sacking with tie lost (3,7)
ICE SKATING
(SACKING TIE)*
Definition: “Sport”
6. Dive over nothing and waste time (6)
LOUNGE
LUNGE = “Dive” around O = “nothing”. (The nice reference here is to the footballing sense of “dive”, of course – meaning to pretend that you’ve been fouled.)
Definition: “waste time”
8. Sweet European girl (6)
ECLAIR
E = “European” + CLAIR = “girl” (?)
Definition: “Sweet”
13. Worth going down in this exchange? Take score and extra time (4,6)
BEAR MARKET
TAKE = “bear” (as in “endure”) + MARK = “score” + ET = “extra time”
Definition: “Worth going down in this exchange?” (Worth as in “the worth of your shares”, which drop in a bear market, as opposed to a bull market)
16. Main part for viewer, hard to watch for audience (5,3)
IRISH SEA
IRIS = “part for viewer” (the “viewer” being an eye) + H = “hard” followed by SEA = “watch for audience” (sounds like “see”)
Definition: “Main”
18. Left first class, back to England, home to get attacked (4,4)
LAID INTO
L = “Left” + AI = “first class” + [englan]D = “back to England” + IN = “home” + TO
Definition: “attacked”
19. To him, even missing finals is appropriate (6)
THIEVE
T[o] HI[m] EVE[n] = “To him even missing finals”
Definition: “appropriate” (as a verb)
21. Relax, Italy, it’s hot (6)
CHILLI
CHILL = “Relax” + I = “Italy”
Definition: “it’s hot”
22. Post covered by Balotelli, ball’s hoisted (6)
BILLET
Hidden reversed in “[balo]TELLI B[all]” – Mario Balotelli is one of Italy’s players, who it turned out scored the winning goal against England.
Definition: “Post”
24. Soaks up sweat (4)
STEW
WETS = “Soaks” reversed
Definition: “to let someone sweat” / “to let someone stew”
Pretty close on the score too!
Thanks to Tramp for the puzzle and mhl for the parsing.
Cheers…
Thanks mhl. Remarkably I completed this without any inkling of the theme. I got 10A from the wordplay and the other names were just fodder for the wordplay and I didn’t look for any additional significance. Most mean nothing to me anyway. A well-managed theme then.
You have a typo in the answer to 7A.
Yes, I too managed to complete the puzzle without knowing anything about football, which left me with a couple of question marks, so thanks mhl. I originally had SEEP for 24D.
Not sure I like ‘close to Manaus’ as an indication for S, but hey…
Thanks, mhl. As grandpuzzler intimates @1, you don’t seem to have mentioned the Nina, unless I’ve missed it in your excellent blog.
At the time I remember thinking, “I know Tramp’s an Everton supporter but he’s taking allegiance to the colour a bit too far!” Sadly, he was just rather prescient. 🙁 Great puzzle though!
Thanks Tramp and mhl
Excellent theme and nina – forecast to almost the exact score … which completely passed over me. He is a master of the unobtrusive theme in clues and solutions without being too contrived.
Typical clever clueing for the puzzle with 10a, 24a and 22a (which encapsulates the theme with so much detail in a very well crafted cryptic clue that would standout in a normal puzzle) as the standouts. Took an age to get the last one – A TRIFLE.
Thanks mhl. 23A was my last, and then I recalled Brummie having run with it a few days earlier. All good fun, thanks Tramp.
Another entertaining challenge from Tramp – I don’t remember any particular difficulties and the Nina amused me – although several of you have mentioned it, nobody has spelled it out – we’re referring to the ENG NIL on the top and the ITA TWO along the bottom.
Thanks to MHL and Tramp
I enjoyed this and finished, with little understanding of football, though aware of the game being played that day. The only solution I could not understand was 22a. I could only assume that Baggio was an Italian romantic or operatic hero.
Add me to the list of people who enjoyed without being a football fan. I was delighted to spot the Nina too. Thanks to Tramp and mhl.
What crypticsue said.
Another excellent Tramp puzzle, and I didn’t realise that he is a fellow Bluenose so thanks for that snippet NeilW@5. The theme in the cluing was obvious but I missed the nina. I’m not sure I would have been able to spell DIARRHOEAL without the checkers.
Thanks mhl and Tramp.
Very enjoyable, and impressively prescient – following yesterday’s result the England team will indeed be home before their postcards (10,24).
Phil Space will now have a big challenge in all British newspapers.
Thanks to mhl for the super blog and to everyone for your kind comments: it means a lot.
I wrote this puzzle in January. I wanted to try to predict the score in the top and bottom rows of the grid on the day of the England v Italy game. I asked Hugh whether he would let me have the slot and he kindly agreed. I always thought Italy would win and I needed scorelines that could be spelled out in two blocks of six letters. Ignoring crazy results involving six and ten, this left me with three possible predictions to fit in my chosen grid: ENG NIL – ITA ONE; ENG NIL – ITA TWO and ENG ONE – ITA TWO. Given history and performances against weak opposition during qualification, I went for 0-2. I didn’t think England would get out of the group stages so I tried to reflect that in the puzzle. As it turned out, they’ll be home before they’ve finished their malaria tablets.
I probably shouldn’t have included Baggio as it’s a bit esoteric and the clue isn’t great.
Thanks, as ever, to my mate Jim for test solving.
I am an Evertonian. I have never supported England although I have to admit, some of the stuff they played against Italy was very good. That performance proved to be an outlier and they resorted back to their customary style against Uruguay. My favourite quote from the World Cup thus far has to be Glenn Hoddle’s “apart from the two goals, he was very quiet”.
Thanks again
Neil
@Tramp
lovely stuff, thanks. The Hoddle comment is indeed a belter, and I was impressed by the insight of Joe Hart’s “we didn’t score enough goals, and let too many in”.
A really enjoyable puzzle. I was impressed just reading the natural surfaces of the clues and their relevance to the match. Then half-way through, having solved the top corner fully, I spotted the Nina (brilliant!) which helped me finish the thing off.
‘Baggio’ came easier to me than ‘Ecce Homo’; I think it’s good to have broad range of knowledge required to solve these puzzles, as was commented in response to the mathematician theme from last week.
Like BruceW@6, A TRIFLE held me up for ages.
Thanks Tramp and mhl.
I consider Paul to be The Reverend’s Apprentice, and who definitely likes to play with the floor sweepers… This must have been the most difficult crossword I’ve ever actually solved without cheating (unless you count a bit of Missing Letters help and finding out what words actually mean). Football? What’s that? Maybe knowledge of it would have helped to confirm a few definitions or word play.
So, as a Brazilian commentator might say: “Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooolved!”
🙂
It appears that the occasional easy Prize Puzzle is now obligatory and this was it.
Rather dull for a Tramp and very quickly done.
Nothing much else to say. Perhaps the editor realises we’ll all be busy watching football anyway? Hence the theme?
I missed the nina probably because I wasn’t around long enough to notice it.
Thanks to mhl and Tramp
Brendan (not that one): don’t blame the editor — I asked for the date.
Neil
Thanks for the reply Tramp.
I always write my “honest reaction” to a puzzle as soon as I finish it. In the case of a prize this is obviously saved as a file until the following Saturday.
I added the penultimate paragraph having read the comments re the nina.
I always enjoy your puzzles and this was no exception although it was a brief pleasure. 🙂
The past year has seen a “dumbing down” of the Prize in some people’s opinion whereas it always used to be “Something for the weekend, sir?”.
Naturally I can see the point of the odd easier prize puzzle to give the less experienced a shot at the prize. (Does anybody actually want these books? Cash is king surely?)
Anyway keep up the good work T.
P.S. I am becoming a “grumpy old man” but to be honest the role is quite enjoyable. 😉