Across
Bachelors visiting famous footballer ruin external wall-coating (6,4)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
B + B (Bachelors) contained by [visiting] PELE (famous footballer), DASH (ruin – one’s hopes, for example). A rather unattractive method of facing external walls of buildings which seems to be out of favour these days. Also available with a hyphen and as a single word in its verbal form.
Bloke with yen for evidence of 21 across? (4)
Underworld goddess mostly associated with old doctor's sacrifice (8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
HECAT{e} (underworld goddess) [mostly], O (old), MB (doctor). Collins: Hecatomb – in ancient Greece or Rome, any great public sacrifice and feast, originally one in which 100 oxen were sacrificed.
Shade sister found outside a church (6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
NUN (sister) contains [found outside] A, then CE (church)
Particular house in warm and friendly environment (6)
Lament retired academic unknown by most of the proverbial crowd, it's said (8)
Bury receiver, ringing about distortion of signal (12)
Doctor visited Rio, taken in by ecological variety (12)
Blue berets rushed round back of farm, suffering no hurt (8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
UN (blue berets as worn by United Nations troops), HARED (rushed) containing [round] {far}M [back]
Dispatch old racehorse from the East (6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
RED RUM (old racehorse) reversed [from the East]
One who manages without current reproducing device (6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
COPER (one who manages) containing [without – outside] I (current)
Download tip backing team: it may be found in a book (8)
Report gladly at first on prohibition (4)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
BAN (prohibition), G{ladly} [at first]
Thinner lad working in undeveloped area (10)
Down
Stylish being finally leaving for pub — a rogue, possibly? (8)
Stole keys, pinching ring (3)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
B + A (musical keys) containing [pinching] O (ring)
Tree identified by European of skeletal build (5)
Judge a champ right to corner leader of rebels (7)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
A + BITE (champ) + R (right) containing [to corner] R{ebels} [leader]
Obstruction old peasant originally negotiated in athletic event (9)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
HIND (old peasant), then N{egotiated} [originally] contained by [in] RACE (athletic event). ‘Old’ may be relevant here as HIND seems to have started out meaning a simple peasant or rustic but with the passage of time it became used for farmworkers of higher rank and with advanced skills.
Puzzle touring Aintree bars (11)
Clarify MacDiarmid's last poem about City area (6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
{MacDiarmi}D [’s last] + ODE (poem) containing [about] EC (City area of London)
High-handed with regard to deportment (11)
Manhandle head of gang in from entrance, perhaps (9)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
G{ang} [head of…] contained by [in] FROM, then ARCH (entrance)
Articles granny pens primarily in Greek (8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
A + THE (articles), then NAN (granny) contains [pens] I{n} [primarily]
Reserved protégé knocked over in pub (6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
WARD (protégé) reversed [knocked over] and contained by [in] INN (pub). Not a word I was aware of but its meaning seems obvious enough. I note that the enumeration error also appears in the e-paper, so presumably it’s in the printed edition too.
Marketplace stocking new fur (6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
AGORA (marketplace – ancient Greek) containing [stocking] N (new)
Chap fencing in quiet wood (5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
MALE (chap) containing [fencing in] P (quiet)
Disappointing score upset trendy musical in the end (3)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
IN (trendy) reversed [upset], {musica}L [in the end]
Type letters or click words in the clue