Herald Sport

[AlaskaDaisy]

Although this has been posted, no correct answer has been given so thought I'd try to post...

The clue is simply, Athletic Aces and the number of letters are 4 S?A?.
The S is from Substitute (Reserve player) and the A from Arete (Mountain Ridge) so the answer cannot be Cram, as someone else suggested.

Any help would be appreciated
Thanks in advance

[redman41]

Substitute could be Temporary which would make your answer TEAM

[ladyalex]

That would work if temporary had the same number of letters as substitute......
Understudy does, but doesn't get us any further forward.

[cupid04]

slam? only guessing, but i know the word is used in various sports.

[janbee]

Hi Lady alex. the U could be correct. That would make it possibly UDAL (shaun udal cricketer?)

[redman41]

Is the Question singular or Plural. Athletic Ace would be STAR

[ladyalex]

Hi janbee....Perhaps cupid has got it with SLAM...difficulty is that the clue is plural....

[auntflo]

jaap stam - the goalkeeper????

[auntflo]

peter shaw - ex charlton athletic player???

[redman41]

Mountain Ridge could be Crest and not Arete

[AlaskaDaisy]

Thank You for all your efforts but I still don't think we have found the right answer. The answer will be the Surname of an Athletic's star, ie I have Gunnell for another clue (17a).
Some more head scratching!!!

[redman41]

Sally Gunnell

[glen-d]

glasgow rangers

[AlaskaDaisy]

Sorry Redman, think I confused you. I meant I had worked out that Gunnell was the answer. You don't actually get any clue for the Athletic Aces, you just have to work them out around the other clues you have, hence, I am left with the S?A? for 1d.
Thanks all the same.

[glen-d]

sally gunnell?

[ladyalex]

Do you mean that the 'Theme' of the Crossword/puzzle is Athletic Aces ?
If it is, that means that the answer does not have to be plural, in which case, auntflo has given you a couple of names to consider.