| INDIRESTRAITS | Desperate cricket team almost succeeded, bringing in unnamed reserve (2,4,7) |
| PARTICIPATE | Scottish team almost required current head to join in |
| RANGER | Forest defender in Scottish football team, almost (6) |
| PITCHEDBATTLES | Penny longed to meet British ex-Prime Minister, almost succeeded, which resulted in disturbances |
| FEARSOME | Awe-inspiring exploit almost succeeded in European city |
| TOGA | Old garment in unnamed Pacific nation (4) |
| TIMELIMIT | Bond holding masculine student in unnamed Cambridge college for period allowed (4,5) |
| SPAGHETTI | Food from no ordinary urban quarter in unnamed European country (9) |
| AREA | How many square yards in unnamed stadium? (4) |
| SYSTEM | US sports team, almost the last characters to overturn routine (6) |
| MANUAL | Top team almost all brought to book |
| UNTENABLE | Powerless to accept soccer team almost as unworthy of support? |
| TAPEMEASURE | A supreme team almost transformed? It shows the scale of things (4,7) |
| SQUAB | Team almost cut off by a young flyer (5) |
| STOLID | Unemotional team almost holding crowd back (6) |
| ASTONVILLA | Team almost broke into a holiday home (5,5) |
| DIMPLES | Smiles as stupid request almost succeeded |
| XERXES | Cross queen twice almost succeeded as ruler after Darius |
| NEARLYMAN | He almost succeeded putting name on troglodyte (6,3) |
| OGRESS | Monster to go back with the others - almost succeeded (6) |
