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I have completed the grid, unjumbled the unclued entries, found the name and identified the seven
cells, but I a can't to make sense of the preamble concerning the extra words and initial letters. In a way it doesn't matter as I was able to complete the crossword anyway, but would really like to know what the preamble meant!

I'm in the same position as you, Kernavo. I decided to ignore the extra words, initial letters etc until I needed them... I never did!

The 9 are associated with 5, ie more than 1 of the 9 are associated with some of the 5 whose surnames are given by the "found" letters. As you say, not necessary for completion of the grid but might help a solver who doesn't have any knowledge of the theme (it's one of my main interests and 1a confirmed my thoughts right off).

Thanks, Ginge. I have no knowledge of the theme, no interest in the theme... but it was hard to avoid it this weekend!

I take all the above points, but have completed the grid and not found the final 3,5 name via the instruction given “ which links all the thematic material (and) can be traced ..using knight’s moves ending in the central cell, one cell doing double duty.”
Please help someone...

Work backwards, Jogamel. The preamble says 'ending in the central cell'. Do you know what 'the name' is?

Hi jogamel, the (3,5) is not another 9 but what the 9 have in common as winners of (3,5) a renewal of which took place this afternoon at 4.30 and was televised.

Yes Ginge and Malone. I was looking for the two word event and gave up, but will go back now because I couldn’t see the right letters... I might need a bigger hint...

Jogamel, I don't think you'll need a bigger hint. You know what the last letter, to go in the blank cell, is - so just look for the relevant letter before that nearby. It won't take long to trace them all out.

The 'extra letters' bit is just the alphabet repeating itself with the letters numbered.

S+S would be 19+19= 38. So you would look for what letter comes at 38, which is L.