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Excellent help and clues on here for an excellent puzzle.....shame we don't have to do anything with the grid.....don't really have to follow how some of those 12 clues work but google (as ever) may help!!

I've worked out 17a. 1. The word with an association to the theme that has to be removed before solving is "woodwork." 2. Then you find a word meaning teacher and add to it an anagram of crates (rebuilt being the anag indicator). 3. Finally work out what "old pirates" is a definition of, and put the result in the grid. You'll hopefully spot the association between 2 and 3. Phew!

Well done, Crimbo - I'm still glad I didn't need to grapple with the thematic clues!

Thank you, Crimbo.
I had the answer to 17A but did not know how it worked.
That helped me with all the thematic answers although I am having a hard time parsing some.
I have 11.
If 3D is thematic, then I have 12.

Thanks to everyone on this thread for help on this EV.

In wondering whether 3d is thematic, have you spotted a certain symmetry in the crossword?

Crimbo, yes, 3 D is thematic. Yes, there is symmetry in the grid.

15 Across
YOBS = old (& similar) word for gang (4 letters)
Around
DISUSED = 3 letter word (opposite of new)
LAND = 4 letter old word for ground (from the French for flat)

Thank you all, looks like I may have inadvertently fallen over the theme if I read you correctly. However, the only thematic clue (23d) I think I have done tells me nothing as I can't work out what car suspension has to do with anything......... this all leads me to think it is wrong. Despite the excellent and detailed explanations of 15 & 17a, no light is shining.

the "car" bit is FORD = anagram of has gives ASHFORD ... the nickname of this club is the ASHTREES for which you have the defn at the beg....I think suspension is the extra word.

The 12 specials are symmetric in the grid so that should help

Turast has given a parse for 15a ... look up

17a pirates is the defn . woodwork is the extra word. teacher = don + anagram of crates ... gives Doncaster whose nickname is the ROVERS

Thank you sudukulover, all becomes clear (if in a slightly cloudy way as I support teams of 15!) It would also help if I was sensible enough to read the preamble properly and realise there is a superfluous word. Will try harder.