Across:
8 Mid-January (mid ‘January’ = -U-) in Milan (Milan = AL- MNI) training (= anagram indicator) (ALUMNI) past pupils (ALUMNI),
9 Sounds like something the teacher might say (STAND UP-) at school (-S) (STAND-UPS) trying to be funny (STAND-UPS),
10 What the doctor said (NEXT) of noises coming out of extensions (‘noises’ coming out of ‘extensions’ = extn = NEXT),
11 Local money (BREAD-) rows (-LINES) (BREADLINES) in foodie queues (BREADLINES),
12 Tip off (p) Pat (‘Pat’ without ‘p’ = AT-), Spike (spike/nail = -TACK) (ATTACK) and Sally (sally/raid = ATTACK),
14 Tear herb (tear herb = BREATHER) off (= anagram indicator) from the rest (BREATHER),
15 Most of those in 9 across (‘stand-ups’ = STAND-UP) and 25 across (COMEDIAN) (STAND-UP COMEDIAN) might be laughed off the stage (STAND-UP COMEDIAN),
18 Repay men (repay men = EMPYREAN) working (= anagram indicator) in heavenly place, poetically speaking (EMPYREAN),
20 Fish (trout = TR- OUT) around the bottom of The Liffey (the bottom of the ‘Liffey’ = -Y) (TRY OUT) as experiment (TRY OUT),
22 Sells hardware (IRONMONGER) to poor (= anagram indicator) Geronimo (Geronimo = IRO-MONGE-) – the last Indian (last ‘Indian’ = -N-) at the end of the war (the end of the ‘war’ = -R) (IRONMONGER),
24 Smart alecks fail to get clarets (‘smart alecks’ fail to get ‘clarets’ = maks = MASK) blind (MASK),
25 A demonic (a demonic = COMEDIAN) butcher (= anagram indicator) always makes me laugh (COMEDIAN),
26 Makes fun of (AP-ES) hiding place (-PL-) (APPLES) for making cider (APPLES).
Down:
1 First person (ELDEST) from Leeds (Leeds = ELDES-) playing (= anagram indicator) the lead (‘the’ lead = -T) (ELDEST),
2 Fails to mention (OMIT) imposter dismisses reps (‘imposter’ dismisses ‘reps’ = imot = OMIT),
3 American college (MIT = TIM-) upset (= reversal indicator) nevertheless (-BU-T -) over one thousand (-K-) going to university (-U) (TIMBUKTU) everyone says is in middle of nowhere (TIMBUKTU),
4 Naughty (= anagram indicator) lies (lies = ISLE) spotted by those on board (ISLE),
5 Sheds some light on (CANDLE) staff (CAN-E) ringing Donegal (-DL-) (CANDLE),
6 Let in (ADMITTED-) to large (-L-) yard (-Y) (ADMITTEDLY), I’ll give you that (ADMITTEDLY),
7 Oriental (east = E-) drug (-E-) in exotic (= anagram indicator) hamper (hamper = -PH-MERA) (EPHEMERA) only lasts for a short time (EPHEMERA),
13 Anyone can (anyone can = ANNOYANCE-) go crazy (= anagram indicator) at school (-S) (ANNOYANCES) with irritations (ANNOYANCES),
14 Painter (BACON) among Manitoba contingent (among ‘Manitoba contingent’ = BACON),
16 At the end of the day presumably (TOMORROW), rootworm (rootworm = TOMORROW) travels (= anagram indicator),
17 Duck (duck cotton/canvass = type of MATERIAL) in fish net – presumably that’s a yarn! (fishnet MATERIAL),
19 Strikingly unconventional (EXOTIC) engineering (E-) associated with toxic (toxic = -XOTIC) mixture (= anagram indicator) (EXOTIC),
21 Concealed (UNSEEN) description of The Invisible Man (UNSEEN),
23 Tag along without a lot (‘tag along’ without ‘a lot’ = gang = GANG) of The Mob (GANG),
24 Bank’s marketing tips (banks ‘marketing tips’ = MAPS) for those interested in what’s coming down the track (MAPS).