Spectator - The Final Line-Up - 2517

[Matakari]

Good day, completed Doc’s offering and was expecting a revised version of the grid with shaded squares. Can anyone suggest the meaning of “reading row by row from top to bottom( two words) and what are the two words? Thanks in advance!

[Neveracrossword]

I think most solvers just ignored that bit, Matakari. I expect there would have been some sort of message, name, if the squares had been shaded - that might have helped with solving for some people. It doesn't look as if we were to do anything with them anyway, just notice they were there!

[Matakari]

A puzzling one from Doc! Thanks, NACW!

[Neveracrossword]

That oversight gave us more to to think about, for longer, than the puzzle itself!

[u10]

No doubt the shaded squares were supposed to show the manager.

[Matakari]

The name of the manager seems a great theory for the shaded squares, u10.

[novalis]

That was my thought as well u10. I suspect there will be an apology/correction in this week's edition. I know some people have suggested that we are meant to do the shading but the preamble doesn't indicate that.

[Matakari]

Let's hope the puzzle will not be declared null and void because of this regrettable error!

[novalis]

I doubt it will be.

[Neveracrossword]

The shaded squares added very little, if anything, to the puzzle - and solvers weren't asked to do anything other than solve the crossword. I don't see any reason for declaring it 'null and void' - unless it's felt the lack of shading made the crossword harder (unlikely, I'm sure many solvers felt this was one of the easiest ever!).