Crossword Genius

I must keep small boy towing the line (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

onside

'towing the line' is the definition.
(towing the line means following an agreed message)

'i must keep small boy' is the wordplay.
'i' becomes 'one' (Roman numeral for one).
'must keep' indicates putting letters inside.
'small boy' becomes 'Sid' (short for Sidney; 'small' asks for an abbreviation).
'one' going around 'sid' is 'ONSIDE'.

(Other definitions for onside that I've seen before include "In agreement (colloq.)" , "legitimate" , "Legally positioned in game" , "(In football) not in forbidden zone" , "in a permitted position in sport" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.