| TACKLE | Necessary for the footballer and the fisherman (6) |
| WAGS | Friendly movements of the dog's tail for the footballers' spouses (4) |
| ROBBIEFOWLER | Ex-footballer and The Jump 2017 contestant (6,6) |
| HOUSEKEEPERS | They have a job looking after father's surprise practice for the footballers (12) |
| ALANSHEARER | Former England footballer and the Premier League's record goalscorer (4,7) |
| SCAMPS | Does no more than is necessary for the rogues (6) |
| FERENC | Hungarian forename shared by the footballer Puskas and the dramatist Molnar |
| BRAZIL | Country for which the footballer Pele played (6) |
| PUNTED | Indulged in gambling, as the footballer did (6) |
| TIGERS | It's Reg that has disturbed the footballers - the beasts! (6) |
| ROUASS | Laila _, played one of the Footballers' Wives (6) |
| REELED | The fisherman danced as he brought in the fish (6) |
| ANGLER | This corner right for the fisherman? (6) |
| WHALER | A boat for the fisherman (6) |
| MORRIS | "The Shoes of the Fisherman" author West |
| GRIMES | Peter the Fisherman gets dirty |
| HOLYONE | Hoe, only as necessary, for the reason for the season? (4,3) |
| TRIUMPH | 'The only thing necessary for the ... of evil is for good men to do nothing' (Burke) (7) |
| OSCAR | Forename of a dramatist, novelist, poet and wit who also wrote short stories including The Fisherman and His Soul, The Happy Prince, The Selfish Giant and The Star-Child (5) |
| INFLATION | Rising prices necessary for the smooth running of road transport (9) |
