| ALIVEANDKICKING | Strong and active, as footballers often are! (5,3,7) |
| KICK | What footballers often do for a thrill (4) |
| VACANT | ... blank, as gents often are! (6) |
| HEATED | Intensely passionate, like arguments between soap characters often are! (6) |
| ATHLETIC | Physically fit, strong and active (8) |
| VIGOROUS | Strong and active, robust (8) |
| KNICKERS | Pants, as footballers maybe around end of run (8) |
| MATCHLESS | Unequalled as footballers looking for a game? (9) |
| TACKLED | Took on targets as footballers were challenged (7) |
| TACKLE | Get down to business, as footballers do (6) |
| AGILE | As active as an American soldier is in drink (5) |
| OVERALLED | Computer people are very ordinary when growing up, as workmen often are (9) |
| CRISTIANO | With swerving action, left and right, so I ran the party as footballer (9,7) |
| MESSY | Unkempt as footballer Lionel we hear |
| ONTHEBALL | Alert as footballer should be? (2,3,4) |
| ONTRIAL | Up before the judge, as footballer might be? |
| PEAK | Most active, as travel season goes |
| ERUPTS | Becomes active, as a volcano |
| INPLAY | Active as an actor? (2,4) |
| DOING | Active as a swindler (5) |
