The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 plus 4 letter word BRASS BAND
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
B
R
A
S
S
B
A
N
D
More clues leading to the result BRASS BAND
- Lip ring ensemble with no strings attached
- Supporters, British, stopping Polish players
- Cheap wedding ring that plays tunes
- Musicians‘ dosh reportedly censored
- Music group not allowed in auditorium after effrontery
- Musicians prohibited by audience chasing money
- Group of musicians producing money belt
- Money prohibited, we hear, for supplier of music?
- Group of musicians runs into singer not allowed in audition
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "players" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case players = brass band.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.