Across:
8 Footballer left out (‘footballer’ ‘left’ out/ without ‘left’ = oobalr = BAROLO) for getting drunk in Italy (BAROLO),
9 Nags (horses/nags = ARABIANS) Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves presumably (ARABIANS from the story collection “The Arabian Nights’ Entertainment”),
10 Unfriendly type (COOL) of revolutionary (= reversal indicator) buried in Waterloo cemetery (buried in ‘Waterloo cemetery’ = looc = COOL),
11 Toed the line (-BEHAVED) after (= positional indicator) short (s) address (‘miss’ without ‘s’ = MIS-) (MISBEHAVED) that’s played up (MISBEHAVED),
12 Roadie leaves Rio de Janeiro (‘Roadie’ leaves ‘Rio de Janeiro’ = iejnro = REJOIN) to return to The Band (REJOIN),
14 Member of the Resistance (“resister” = “RESISTOR”) vocal (= homophone indicator) on the circuit (RESISTOR = devise having resistance to electric current),
15 Friend (PAL-) to a (-A-) key (music key -E) metaphysician (-ONTOLOGIST) (PALAEONTOLOGIST) and a scientist digging himself into an early grave presumably (PALAEONTOLOGIST),
18 Relieved (-EASED) after (= positional indicator) last month (December = DEC-) (DECEASED) passed (DECEASED),
20 Make amends dropping name (‘make amends dropping ‘name’ = makeds = MASKED) like Zorro (MASKED),
22 Boxer (P-UP) grabbing head, shoulders (head ‘shoulders’ = -S-) ponytail (‘pony’ tail = -Y-) and lower jaw (-CHIN-) – it’s great (-G) (PSYCHING UP) preparation for one giving one’s all (PSYCHING UP),
24 The foreign (the = LA-) leads from Reds, Deliverance (leads from ‘Reds, Deliverance’ = -RD) (LARD) and Grease (LARD),
25 Charlie (C-) from reformed (= anagram indicator) Stones (Stones = -O-NTESS) including upstart (‘up’ start = -U-) (COUNTESS) produced by Earl’s wife (COUNTESS),
26 Tears (rips = SPIR-) around (= reverse indicator) city centre (‘city’ centre = -IT) (SPIRIT) with one of The Shadows (SPIRIT).
Down:
1 Early release (PAROLE) of light (= anagram indicator) opera (opera = PARO-E) about Lima (-L-) (PAROLE),
2 Look smart, removing marks (‘look smart’ removing ‘marks’ = loot = TOOL) with piece of kit (TOOL),
3 College (C-) at the end of term (end of ‘term’ = -M-) in Arabian country (Oman = -OM-AN-) has party (-DO) (COMMANDO) for one going on The Missions (COMMANDO),
4 Forbids (BARS) public houses serving drink (BARS),
5 Newscaster went off (‘newscaster’ ‘went’ off/ without ‘went’ = scaser = CARESS) with Pat (pat/touch = CARESS),
6 Pulses (VITAL SIGNS) synonymous with The Good Life presumably (VITAL SIGNS)
7 Nasty looks (sneers = SNE-ERS) over opening Emmental (opening ‘Emmental’ = -E-) to go with the last of the Shiraz (last of the ‘Shiraz’ = -Z-) (SNEEZERS) for those with allergies (SNEEZERS),
13 Changeable, colourful (OPALESCENT) old (O-) friend (-PAL-) and sweetheart (‘sweet’ heart = -E-) from Cologne (-SCENT) (OPALESCENT),
14 Judge (RATE-) Deed from the start (‘deed’ from the start = -D) (RATED) was considered special (RATED),
16 Turns up (= reversal indicator) sound (noise = -E-SION) catching resistance (-R-) from Virginia (VA = AV-) (AVERSION) in disgust (AVERSION),
17 Pole (LAMP POST) is almost (almost = LAM-OST) nervous (= anagram indicator) around father (Parish Priest = -P P-) (LAMP POST),
19 Produces The Gloss (produces the gloss = SHINES) if she’s in (she’s in = SHINE) trouble (= anagram indicator),
21 Listen secretly (EARWIG), going on ahead (going on a head = -WIG) after (= position indicator) a sound type (EAR-) (EARWIG),
23 Mustard (mustard GAS-) pot opened (‘pot’ opened = -P) (GASP) with one big blow (GASP),
24 Brought up (= reversal indicator) in Sharia law (in ‘Sharia law’ = rial = LAIR) in refuge (LAIR).