The Sunday Crossword No 3256, Sunday 28 May 2023

ACROSS

1   Footballer, one with marriage potential (6) KEEPER [DD]

4   One who painted his mother, a referee? (8) WHISTLER [DD]

9   Desired being massaged in the auditorium (6) NEEDED (~kneaded)

10 SEALs ran amok in military stores (8) ARSENALS*

12 Fools around in baths (4) SPAS<=

13 Back in control, staggered to welcome cast etc. (9) REELECTED {REEL{ETC*}ED}

15 Antique storage item, one that's cracked: it's a familiar story (3,8) OLD CHESTNUT {OLD}{CHEST}{NUT}

18 Largely racy, I compose silly, amusing entertainments (5,6) COMIC OPERAS {RACy+I+COMPOSE}*

21 Nap, Sweetie? (9) REFRESHER [DD]

22 Send out some remittances (4) EMIT [T]

24 Confused: tempura's getting further from mouth (8) UPSTREAM*

25 Shed next to empty lighthouse, a grand edifice (6) CASTLE {CAST}{Li...sE}

26 In Athens, letter written – returned – blast! (8) DETONATE {ETA}{NOTED}<=

27 Everyman affectedly starts to speechify in extremely shapeless garment (6) ONESIE {ONE}{Sp...y}{In}{Ex...y}

DOWN

1   Monarchs getting to finally sojourn in Caribbean destination (8) KINGSTON {KINGS}{TO}{s...rN}

2   Dodgy dealers pocketing money and gemstones (8) EMERALDS {E{M}ERALDS*}

3   Tent's roof removed for Olympic event (4) EPEE tEPEE

5   Spooner's made callous deer a means of transporting goods (5,3,4) HORSE AND CART (~ coarsen hart to horse and cart)

6   Cliché in way of playing music genre (10) STEREOTYPE {STEREO}{TYPE}

7   Part of humble Antony's humble abode (4-2) LEAN-TO [T]

8   Make one's home and manage without parking (6) RESIDE pRESIDE

11 I promise bravery after angry and shocked exclamation (5,2,5) CROSS MY HEART  {HEART}<=>{CROSS}{MY}

14 Afraid to manage space with multiple layers? (7,3) CHICKEN RUN {CHICKEN}{RUN}

16 Archbishops in particular ate seconds (8) PRIMATES {PRIM}{ATE}{S}

17 In a way, weariest – put another way ... (2,2,4) AS IT WERE*

19 Where you can see football team crumbled (6) GROUND [DD]

20 Compensate for TV with no power? (6) OFFSET {OFF SET}

23 Piece – albeit weak – numerous at the outset? (4) PAWN Acrostic &lit

Reference List

Money = M, Parking = P, Shocked exclamation = MY!, Seconds = S