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...if so, that's what I had assumed, but you could equally end up at that point without realising there's another step (especially if you solved it in the correct order).

Thanks, ginge.

drxx, I do not see how you can solve this in the wrong order

I did, gitto - and having the 2nd connection (very lightly) scribbled in the unclued column is quite a distraction - and I'd assumed other solvers would have the same problem (the 2nd candidate and subject are much easier to spot, I think).

For me the down subject stood out, so the first title and the players went in quite fast. What held me up was that I assumed for far too long that the second title was in the same context as the first (an example actually exists) which is why it took me forever to spot the player. As I've said before, the second subject was no help because I wasn't aware of its relevance.

I'm sure that different solvers will approach this in different ways - but as long as you get there in the end...

drxx - I reckon you must be in the minority as spotting the 2nd subject and knowing the connection is pretty obscure knowledge.

Personally I spotted it all in the order intended.

Don’t see the confusion around the endgame. Appreciate the “empty” wording in the preamble is slightly confusing but surely you have to put the second name in as a replacement otherwise it would have been a pretty futile exercise by Artix to make sure it made real words.

That's interesting loge (and I prefer your 'down'/'across' to my 1st/2nd).
It's not quite so difficult exhausting the 'across' options because of the dates involved - but it still took a fair while.

So far it ooks like you're right, candledave - but the 'across' is pretty well known in the UK (especially among people who enjoy puzzles and the like).
I'm not quite as forgiving regarding that first instruction - 'Leave the unclued entry empty initially' doesn't read like a repeatable option to me.

Agreed but it would have been difficult to make the preamble work to be 100% foolproof.

I’m implying that part of the instruction as meaning “assume it’s empty again”.

Either way - thanks Artix.

ginge, ref. post 28 about the empty space, pay particular attention to the first sentence of the directions when carrying out the second instruction.